What more than that?
by jenwise
Summary: Hayley, an OC from Earth grows up with Loki and has magical powers as well. Pre-, during and after movie romantic storyline for Loki without him being the villain at the end of the movie. Movieverse.
1. Chapter 1 Green and Red

_Hello there! Welcome to my small story about Loki from the movie "Thor" and "The Avengers". Please keep in mind that I don't own anything of this franchise and know hardly anything about the comic books since we don't have them here in Germany. Moreover, a beta-reader would be much appreciated. I wanted to create an alternative storyline for Loki, which is based on the film but will come out with Loki as a good guy in the end. Hopefully, I can still stay true to his mischievous character without him being the villain. And I think he really needs some romance in his life ._

_Have fun reading and please review. Any suggestions and constructive criticism is much appreciated. Bye Jenny_

**What more than that?**

**Chapter 1: Green and Red**

Where his color of choice was green, hers was red. Where his demeanor was scheming, mysterious and sometimes mischievous, hers was straight forward, honest and self-conscious. Where their magic was concerned, he always wanted to impress or outplay, she mostly wanted to practice and help.

Hayley's eyes were of a bright blue and framed by her long red hair, whereas Loki's green ones lit up his face especially against the canvas of his dark black curls. The only thing the two had in common was their alabaster skin. They had also grown up in the same home, starting when Hayley came to Asgard. She was from Earth, a Midgardian, and Loki was Asgardian - supposedly.

She was 12 and in a very vulnerable state back then, because her parents had just died in a horrible car accident. Odin, All-father, had just been visiting Earth in disguise when it happened. Sensing that there was something special about her, he took the child into his home. Hayley didn't live with the royal family but her home was the palace, now and she started to spend time with Thor, Loki and those who would later become their battle companions.

Soon after she had gotten over the initial shock of losing both parents at such a young age and nonetheless the fact that she would be living on a different planet where gods and magic and kings existed, Loki discovered her anomaly. She could do magic just as he.

When Hayley first started getting used to her new surroundings and her ability, Loki was only a couple of years older than her. Nobody, not even the mischievous sorcerer himself, could explain where her magic came from, let alone his own. But it was clear from the start that her magic wasn't as potent as Loki's tricks were and hers was a different kind. Loki would double himself in an astral projection and Hayley would make herself disappear. He would throw lightning strikes at his enemies with bare hands, whereas Hayley would cast a vast impenetrable shield to protect herself and others within from attacks.

Often, both didn't know how exactly they managed to do it since no one in Asgard had even slightly similar powers. But from the moment on, when Loki discovered her talent, he was designated to be her teacher. In the beginning, when they were both still young and experimenting with their abilities, it was fun for both of them. However, during their adolescence Loki grew more and more weary of the ball and chain Hayley had become for him; and she could feel it.

He wanted to compete with his brother Thor for their father's approval. He wanted to play tricks on others or flirt around. Loki simply didn't want to be dragged down by Hayley, who had never been the center of attention, anyway. She might have had powers of her own, but that made her as unique as it made her stand out. No physical abilities like being able to fight or drink made her attractive. Without a lot of friends other than Loki, Hayley was deeply hurt when he had just cast her aside. She was alone a lot and found the library as her favorite spot to be left in peace and quiet.

From that time on until she was about 22, Hayley studied Asgard's history, other worlds in the world tree including her own and read all she could find on magic. Whilst Loki was having his first serious battles with Thor and their companions in other realms, she stayed at her new home and practiced magic on her own. And she grew stronger by the day.

Although her spells didn't change significantly, her power did. The range as well as the stability of her shield for example grew extensively. One day, Thor came strolling into the library in his usual self-centered conduct. He had no business there whatsoever, at least that was what Hayley thought back then, but he did manage to catch up on her enhanced abilities pretty fast. She was practicing in one corner of the big hall, which was covered in adorned golden tapestry. Books were swirling around her and she was balancing a heavy wooden shelf on her protection field.

"That could come in handy in battle, you know!" Thor said. It was all that was needed to break Hayley's concentration and let all the flying items tumble down on her. If it wasn't for Loki's motion spell, the book shelf would have crushed her. Where he had come out of nowhere was elusive to Hayley.

Heavily panting, Hayley just stood there surrounded by the mess and looked at the two brothers. They were both cracking a smile; Loki's more ironic than Thor's. Why were they even here; in her library of all places? Since when had she gotten interesting again, anyway? Except for the occasional dinner and family meetings, they hadn't spent much time together during the last years of their lives.

"You could have killed me! What are you doing here, anyhow? Just get out and leave me alone!" Hayley was angry; not only because of her spell backfiring on her but also because them entering _her_ library almost felt like an intrusion into her private life.

"Ah, no. I wouldn't have let that happen." Loki said. "Not with that pretty trick you just did there. Show it to me!" His voice was rather silent and calm but with a hint of impatience which bugged Hayley. Thor and Loki were standing before her in their red and green uniforms, respectively, which meant that they either had been training or had just returned from a real battle. Other than a little dirt on his clothes, Thor looked unharmed. Loki's coat was torn, though, and he had a cut on his left cheek.

Once her best friend, Hayley still cared about Loki deeply but her worry was immediately followed by pain. Every time she saw him, it hurt her. "Why would I show you? You have your own tricks. Go play with them!" She couldn't stand the smug look on their faces anymore and just stormed out of the door.

"Thor, maybe she could help us in our next battle. That shield would have come in handy, earlier. Maybe Sif hadn't been pierced through her leg by that spear and Fandral could even fence through that magic barrier without getting attacked himself." Loki said.

"I think we make a pretty good team ourselves on our own. But I'll think about it." Thor answered.

"We could just do a test run." Loki proposed.

"We'll see."

_Flash forward:_

When Hayley came into his room, she startled at his presence. Loki had turned his back on her and was looking in the mirror. The only thing he was wearing, were tight black trousers and Hayley could see his exposed skin. It was blue.

"I am a monster." He whispered.

Hayley approached him slowly. "No, you're not, Loki!"

"Then why were you so shocked when you came in here?" Loki turned to face her. Hayley swallowed hard. She looked directly into his sparkling green eyes.

"Because I didn't expect to find you half-naked in here." She said quietly.

Involuntarily she glanced at his muscled, almost hairless chest. In this state his blue skin was decked with circular creasing and ornaments. Loki just looked at her quizzically. He opened his mouth to reply something but their close proximity stopped him in his tracks. Hesitantly, Hayley put out her palm and slightly touched his chest. Loki was watching her, not moving away. His skin felt cold to her touch but when he put his hand over hers, her skin became warm again.

Surprised, she looked up to find him looking down at her with a small smile. Still holding her hand over his heart, he lowered his face to hers.

_Flash back._

_I hope you liked it. The rating may change throughout the course of the story. Please review and have a nice day _

4


	2. Chapter 2 Rekindled

_Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews I have gotten so far. They make me smile throughout the whole day : - ). I will probably not be able to update this story in the next few days, so here's a little riddle for you to figure out until then: Where did I get my title for the story from? Whoever gets it right first, gets to choose Hayley's favorite flower : - ). __**I had to change the rating of the story to be safe!**__ Also, I found the best song for this chapter and possibly the whole story. Have fun reading (and listening)!_

_Song for this chapter: Trying not to love you – Nickelback_

_Lyrics: ._

**Chapter 2: Rekindled**

The test run Loki had suggested didn't go as smoothly as Hayley had planned. But then again she didn't even know if she wanted to prove her worth to them anyway. Hayley, Loki, Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg had assembled on a field outside of Asgard.

"Focus, for Odin's sake!" Loki shouted at her. Only, her concentration wasn't as strong as it was when she was on her own; without _him_. Loki was throwing small lightning like balls at her protection shield and Hayley was trying to keep it up while Thor, Fandral and Hagun were inside of it. Sif and Volstagg were simply observing. Unfortunately, that didn't improve her situation either. Hayley hated it when others judged her and what else could these experienced fighters be doing right now?

Her magical barrier was shrinking and Hayley was failing. Why do all this and then come out the useless loser in the end again? Loki must have found her expendable back when he stopped spending time with her. And now he wanted to prove it one more time? Realizing this, first Hayley hurt more than she had during all this time she had spent on her own. Her shield flickered and a few of Loki's flashes reached Thor and Hagun, who ducked them effortlessly. But then she grew angry.

With her arms stretched out in front of her, Hayley was standing facing Loki when a strong wind came up and whipped her long red hair around her face and body. It almost looked like flames were surrounding her and her shield started to expand again. When Loki saw the stern look on her face he was brought up short. And then he realized that at the same moment her force field lashed out at him. Although Hayley's shield was barely visible under normal circumstances, now it had assumed a silver-white shimmer and separate glistening bright beams had lunged out for Loki.

Caught off guard, he was thrown to the ground and Hayley's shield vanished. Exhausted, she sank to the ground. Where had all that anger come from? Astounded the others turned to her. Loki was only a few yards away from Hayley when he rose, looked at her and spoke. "Well, that was impressive. Where did that come from? We need more of that. But I'll sure have to teach you a lot about how to use your powers correctly!"

Correctly? She thought. Didn't I just knock you off your feet you stupid… Her body ached all over and she felt very weak but she didn't' want him to know that. "Maybe I will have to teach _you_ some lessons instead!" she answered irritably. The others were laughing at that but Hayley simply got up and walked back towards the castle. She could hear the others discussing what just happened, she didn't care though. My anger must have channeled my power in a way, she thought. Well, if Loki wanted he could have more of that.

At the same time Hayley wondered if she actually wanted her magic to be driven by anger. In general, she wasn't a person susceptible to rage. Normally, she buried her emotions inside and didn't let anybody see them. Thinking about that, the pain of seeing Loki and practicing magic together with him after all that time returned.

On her way to the wing of the castle where her room was located she started to cry. Exhaustion and the unwanted stirring up of her feelings had gotten the better of her. Hayley dragged herself into her bathroom and drew a bath for her oppressed body. Slipping out of her dirty clothes, dark wide trousers and a jacket with an intricate design of red knots, she slid into the steaming hot water and tried to forget the worries of the day.

Hayley closed her eyes and was engulfed by the scent of the bubble bath. She started to relax a little and let her mind drift to more pleasant things like the stories in her books. In them there were brave heroes with sparkling green eyes, like Loki's. Hayley's eyes flew upon. Why was she suddenly thinking about him? She wanted to forget, not reminisce. Determinedly she closed her eyes again and started to ponder once more about her literary heroes. Billowing cloaks, strong horses, muscled and trained bodies with an air of success when they came home from battle; like Loki did recently.

Frowning, Hayley kept her eyes closed and kept thinking about her former best friend. Apparently, he wasn't going to leave her mind that easily. A slight breeze nuzzled her cheek; and then it wasn't a breeze anymore, it was a very pale hand. Startled, Hayley opened her eyes and jerking up she splashed water all over the marble floor. Immediately, when she realized that no other than Loki was sitting on the brim of her bathtub she ducked back under the foam to hide her nude body from him.

Openly staring at him, she shouted "What are you doing here, Loki? Get out now!"

Loki however, chose to stay where he was and just watch her. Hayley was pretty sure that he couldn't see her intimate parts beneath the water and the bubble bath but still she was shocked to find him here. "I just wanted to tell you that we decided to let you in. Let's see how you do in real battle." The words from his silver tongue were smooth and Hayley shivered even in the hot water. "What if I don't want to accompany you into battle?" Hayley said self-consciously. "Well, Thor already told our father. So, if you were to object his will, this would mean treason." Loki was stroking the surface of the bathing water with one hand absentmindedly. "In that case, count me in." was all Hayley answered to this thinly veiled threat. She couldn't quite grasp if he was serious, though.

With that, Loki gave the brim of the tub a pat and got up. "Take care of yourself, Lady Hayley. Training starts tomorrow. You have a lot of catching up to do." With one last glance at Hayley's almost completely submerged self, Loki left the room, his cloak flowing after him.

Exhaling deeply, Hayley thought about the strange encounter she just had. Had he seen the shed tears on her face? Why had he just flounced into her bathroom? Loki had caressed her cheek but at the same time he had threatened her with treason and pointed out her shortcomings. All those conflicting thoughts and feelings made Hayley sure of one particular circumstance; she was more vulnerable than ever when it came to the smug God of mischief.

_**Flash forward:**_

_His hands were all over her; cupping her breasts, caressing her hair. He was kissing the nape of her neck while he was lying on top of her. Hayley was completely naked underneath the covers and the heat between her and Loki's body made her sweat. She clawed at his back while he was nibbling her skin. A small sigh escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open._

_Hayley found herself alone in her bed and fully dressed but heavily panting. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. "Did you have a nice dream?" a familiar voice breathed. _

_Alarmed, Hayley sat bolt upright in bed. Loki was casually leaning in her doorframe, arms crossed. She noticed his meaningful smile and thought, does he know? How could he? "Loki, I told you, I don't want you rummaging around in my head; especially when I am sleeping!"_

"_Why, I didn't do anything to your head. What was it; did you dream something nasty?" Loki's innocent tone was contrasted by his broadening smile. Hayley didn't look at him._

_**Flash back.**_


	3. Chapter 3 Training Session

_**Author's note:**__ Hey guys! Thank you again so very much for all the reviews, the story favorites and the story alerts I have gotten so far. They make me have a guilty conscience – in a good way… - because I want to update sooner. Unfortunately, that isn't always possible during my busy week. But trust me; I'm doing all I can to get Hayley out there – to you. _

_BTW: I just went to see The Avengers – Love it!_

_The riddle about where I got the idea for my title from was won by (look it up in the review section : - ). She sent me her idea of Hayley's favorite flower and I couldn't have made a better choice. Let's find out if it already makes an appearance in this chapter. _

_Here's the dialogue from the movie:_

[_Odin discovers Loki holding the Casket of Ancient Winters_]  
**Odin**: STOP!  
**Loki**: Am I cursed?  
**Odin**: No.  
**Loki**: What am I?  
**Odin**: You are my son.  
[_Loki turns and looks at Odin_]  
**Loki**: [_features briefly blue and chill_] What more than that?... The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?  
**Odin**: No. In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small for a Giant's offspring, abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son.  
**Loki**: Laufeyson?  
**Odin**: Yes.  
**Loki**: Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?  
**Odin**: You were an innocent child.

_This chapter was inspired by a scene from Torchwood. You don't need to have watched the show to get what's going on when you just search for "Jack trains Gwen" on youtube._

_Have fun and take care!_

**Chapter 3: Training session**

"Take care of yourself, Lady Hayley. Training starts tomorrow. You have a lot of catching up to do." And about that he was right.

Training for Hayley started exactly the next day after she and Loki had had that disturbing conversation over a bath tub. Hayley hadn't had a good night's rest either since a certain God of mischief had made several appearances in her dreams; some more pleasant than others.

Loki had decided to start training her without Thor and the others since he first wanted to know the extent of her magical abilities. Everyone knew that simply her physical capabilities weren't going to save anyone in battle. They had even decided to use her non-threatening appearance as an advantage. No opponent was going to see her as a possible danger. If Hayley was fond of that plan, she still had to decide for herself.

Right now, Hayley was standing in a room of the wing of the castle that was equipped to train for battle. Thick beautifully colored walls surrounded a rather large hall which was covered by a golden dome. Despite the decorated walls, the room was furnished rather sparsely. It was Loki's training area. Thor, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral an Sif preferred to train outside or in rooms with an abundance of weapons of their choice.

In one corner of the room, Loki had set up a study area with a desk, some magical artifacts Hayley had never even seen in one of her books and a large shelf for all of his literature on magic. So that was why there had only been so few books on magic in her library and Hayley had never seen Loki there.

Hayley stepped into the middle of the room and lookeds straight up at the golden dome. Bright light from a skylight was pouring down on her and she bathed in its warmth. However, the rest of the room was immersed in gloomy darkness. Loki strode out of the shadow onto the edge of the light. Dressed in his usual green and black attire, he was exuding an air of confidence and had a stern look on his face when he eyed up Hayley.

Hayley turned her gaze from the skylight towards him. "You have a nice room here, Loki. I hadn't known that the castle had a special area to solely practice magic." Directly looking into his green eyes, Hayley realized that he understood the hint about their past. They had never practiced their magic inside the castle. A lot of their former experiments had not gone the way they had planned. Fortunately, back then only trees and the occasional animal in the forest had suffered from that.

Hayley just kept standing in the middle of the room lit by the skylight whilst Loki was circling her within the shady parts of the room. Quietly he stated, "You should feel privileged to be here. Not a lot of people get to see this and leave unharmed. Let's see if you are an exception to the rule!" With that he swung in front of Hayley and threw one of his bright flashes directly at her. Instinctively, Hayley conjured up a small force shield with a wave of her hand to block the attack.

"What was that for? I thought we wanted to train, not kill each other?" Hayley shouted shocked and angry. "There is no training for battle, Missy, other than battle itself. You have to be ready to fight every minute and every second of the day." Loki hissed at her, possibly still annoyed about the fact that she had defeated his spell once again.

"Don't call me Missy, Loki! You've known me since we were children, so don't claim I am a stranger to you." It was out. Hayley had stated what needed to be said. She hated his distant behavior towards her as if he didn't know her.

"Oh I know you, alright. But if you can be useful in battle is still up for discussion." Loki's eyes had turned into slits.

"I can very well defend myself and others, thank you very much." With that Hayley produced the energy field between her hands anew and tried to duplicate it lashing out again at Loki; the way it had the day before. However, it only grazed Loki's shoulder and smashed into the opposite wall.

The demi-god didn't so much as flinch. He smiled, "That is not going to help you in battle, at all. You will only get yourself killed. You're mortal after all!" Was that a hint of concern in his voice? Did he try to keep her out of harm's way to protect her? But why then attack her with one of his most powerful spells?

"Then stop blitz attacking me and start teaching! I don't suppose you will be trying to hurt me with your magic when we're in battle. I am on your side, remember?" Incredulous Hayley stared at Loki.

His tense demeanor started to relax a little after her last words. She was right, after all. Hayley was an asset, not a threat. She was a fellow magician, not a competitor. Still, Loki wanted to prove his superiority. "You may be on our side. But if you can't handle your own spells or maintain them, you will ultimately put everyone in danger."

He had a point. Yesterday, that book shelf she had balanced on top of her force shield had nearly crushed her if it hadn't been for Loki. "Alright. Then show me how to manage my own magic. You know mine is different from yours. I can't learn anything by just watching you throw things at me!"

"Fine. Let's start," was all Loki said. And suddenly his mood had changed. He had let go of his abrasive fighting demeanor and had returned to the introversive and pensive sorcerer he was. Spells and magic had a lot to do with intellect, focus and mind. If Hayley didn't have that, he wouldn't even try in the first place.

During the next few hours, Loki and Hayley focused entirely on her energy field spell. Clearly, it was her most powerful. What they had known when they were younger and what they wordlessly knew now was that Hayley used her power passively whereas Loki applied it actively. He used his spells as a weapon whereas Hayley tried to protect and deflect attacks with her magic. The fact that her energy field was able to actively attack others was news to Hayley. It was of the utmost importance that she learned how to control this part of her ability and made it follow her will.

Hayley tried to hit targets or objects Loki conjured up or simply to form an energy ball without the whole shield attached. At the end of the day, she finally managed to do just that – only without being able to aim correctly. She would always merely graze the targets or even shoot in a completely different direction.

Frustrated Hayley sighed, "Let's continue tomorrow. I don't think that I can wangle this today." Exhausted, she put her hands on her hips and hung her head. Loki stopped conjuring up new targets and stepped beside her.

"Give it one last try. I know you can do it." Loki's tone had changed throughout their training session from annoyed or even angry to more or less supporting and even encouraging. Nevertheless, Hayley hadn't gotten quite used to it yet.

"Try building up the energy with just one hand. You might have a better aim then." He stepped behind her and put his hand on hers. Startled, Hayley turned to look at him. "Just trust me," he whispered with a small smile.

Hayley turned to face the opposite wall. "Do you see the "X" on the wall over there? We want to hit that. Now, slowly channel your magic into your right hand." She could feel his magic flowing through her, where his hand touched hers. Thus, it was easier to produce an energy orb single-handedly. Yet, her other hand involuntarily rose to help and was only stopped because Loki's left hand held it back.

Hayley's breathing quickened when the orb started to form in her right hand. "You can do it. Just relax and focus," Loki breathed into her ear. Together they lifted their right arms – Loki's hand still touching Hayley's. "Now, turn your palm towards the target. Slow down your breathing and think of nothing but the target."

Think of nothing but the target – are you kidding me? With Loki's lithe body pressed against Hayley's back and him tenderly touching her, the young woman didn't really know how she could manage this particular feat. Fortunately, his magic guided her as it surged throughout her veins.

"Go!" Hayley could feel the energy spike shoot out of her forearm into the orb and letting it rush right at the target. Bull's eye! Surprised but happy Hayley jumped up in the air and clapped her hands.

"I did it! Loki, I did it! I mean, we did it." And with that she gave him a genuine hug. When he first started to embrace her back, it was as if the time apart from one another had never even existed. But then Loki slowly pulled back from their intimacy and put his regal but distant conduct back on.

When he looked her in the eyes Hayley couldn't quite read what was going on behind his own. His gaze puzzled her. But at the same time it looked as if he was trying to read her as well. His expression had again turned serious, though, which made Hayley lose her smile, too.

"See you tomorrow." With these words Loki turned on his heel and left the room.

_**Flash back:**_

"_Loki, have you ever kissed someone?"_

"_Why? What do you care? Haven't you?"_

_Loki and Hayley were sitting near a stream after one of their training sessions. This time, they had almost burned down a small section of the forest. Fortunately, Hayley's water spell had prevented further damage. A spell she had used frequently around that age, when they were still experimenting._

"_No, I haven't. I'm just curious. You are the only boy I ever really spend time with. So I just thought I would ask you."_

"_Ask me – to do what, exactly? To kiss you? You're out of your mind, Hayley! Why would I ever kiss you? I am a prince of Asgard. All the ladies in waiting want to be with me. And they are beautiful beyond your imagination. Don't ever talk to me about that again!"_

"_But I just wanted to know how it felt?" But Loki didn't hear the last part of her plea anymore. He had vanished into thin air. Hayley hated it whenever he did that trick. Her knees pulled up to her chin she kept staring into the stream. Why had he been so hostile? Who else could she ask about those things?_

_Sad and frustrated Hayley walked back to the castle. On her way home, she saw a few of the ladies taking a walk along the stream, too. Maybe she could become friends with them and ask them a few questions about the topics Loki didn't want to talk about with her._

_Just before she reached them, she heard them talking._

"_Can you believe all the time he is spending with her?"_

"_Yes, I know. Undoubtedly, there must be something going on."_

"_But he still denies it. I can't understand it, anyway. She's from Earth for Odin's sake - not worthy of a prince of Asgard."_

"_You're absolutely right. At his age he's supposed to start looking for a wife and we sure don't want a mortal sitting on the throne of Asgard. Let alone an ugly chubby one like her. And what kind of name is "Hayley", anyway?"_

_Having slowed down in advance, Hayley now stopped dead in her tracks and quickly hid behind a tree. These women were talking about her._

"_Can't we just throw her back down to Earth over the Bifrost bridge?"_

"_Yes, let's do this…" The women started to giggle and vanished behind a line of trees._

_Hayley, however, was frozen to her spot. A single tear slowly made its way down her cheek._

_**Flash forward.**_


	4. Chapter 4 A rose is a rose is a rose

_**Author's note:**__ First of all, I still love the Avengers and finally this week all of you will have the pleasure to enjoy them, too. It is so very rare that we Europeans get a new movie first but it's so hard not to spoil anyone : - ). _

_Second, to all of you who may have watched an episode of a German night talk show called "TV TOTAL" on which Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth were guests, my deepest most sincere apologies for the host. (If you haven't seen it, on youtube or tumblr or anything, just don't! It's so embarrassing for us Germans…) He seemed like he hadn't prepared any questions at all or even knew what the movie was about. SORRY! Please don't hate the Germans just because of this…_

_Third, a thousand thank yous for my beautiful beta reader Why so Sirius1236 who already beta-read the first chapter : - ). Sorry, that everyone who set my story on alert got a message that a new chapter was up though I only re-uploaded the first chapter. So from now on, every time I re-upload one or more chapters I will also upload a completely new one because I don't want to disappoint my readers :). _

_Fourth, I found an amazing youtube clip for Loki and the lyrics kind of nicely tie in with this chapter. Title: "An Asgardian Story" (I'll put the link on my profile.)_

_So long, have fun and take care!_

**Chapter 4: A rose is a rose is a rose.**

Hayley looked around her. She was sitting in a vast meadow full of flowers. In fact, they were Casablanca Lilies – Hayley's favorite flowers. The delicate white petals mimicked the white lace dress she was wearing and the striking red stamens seemed to have the exact same color of her long hair. What was she doing here at what must have been the most breathtaking place she had ever seen? Hayley was on her own; only surrounded by foliage, huge flowers in full bloom and the occasional butterfly. Was she dreaming?

Hayley got up and plucked one lily from its stem. She looked at it on her open palm: it covered her hand completely. Intoxicated by the smell, Hayley examined the radiant white petals more closely. The tips even seemed translucent; and then suddenly they weren't anymore. First, the petals slightly turned pink and then fully red. Now they were of a dark red and the once flower in Hayley's hand dissolved. Ruby liquid ran down her forearm and down her dress; and when she looked around her every one of the white flowers was turning scarlet and lost its shape.

In shock, Hayley watched helplessly as the red color seeped into her light dress and made it take on the ghastly shade as well. All of sudden, Hayley realized that it wasn't only red liquid; it was blood that was running down her arms and around her ankles in grisly streams. What was happening to her? Heavily panting she glanced at her hands; they were drenched in blood, too.

Frozen to the spot Hayley was overcome by the horrific feeling that she had done something dreadful. A dizzy sensation crept up her spine and she started to lose her balance. But just as she started to stagger backwards and fall, she felt a chair behind her and landed on it. A chair? Hayley had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the suddenly bright light surrounding her. Moreover, she wasn't outdoors anymore. She was sitting on a chair in the middle of Loki's training room. Slowly Hayley shook her head and tried to slow her breathing. It all started coming back to her now.

Earlier that day, Loki and Hayley had decided to venture into the field of thought reading. Only in Loki's case this also meant that he could project images into other people's minds and manipulate them. On the one hand, Loki wanted Hayley to prevent him from messing with her thoughts. On the other hand, he also wanted her to learn this particular trick since it had come handy in battle. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the most difficult spell for Hayley, yet. Not only could she not stop him from entering her mind, she was more than reluctant to find out about Loki's inner self, too.

Loki was sitting in front of her; his fingertips put together, pensively pressed against his lips. Hooded eyes were observing Hayley and slightly enjoying her discomfort. "What did you see?"

"I… I… Did you put that into my head?" Hayley asked still trying to catch her breath.

"I simply put one emotion into your mind – fear. What your imagination or memories make of it, is up to you. So, what did you see?" Unwillingly the young woman repeated her vision to the sorcerer. He smiled cunningly, "First of all, do you see the advantage that little trick brings especially when outnumbered in battle? The two of us together could discourage a whole company of assailants just by messing with their heads. It's imperative that you learn how to do it!" Hayley nodded slightly but didn't really want to glance at Loki. She was embarrassed because of her vision and the possible meaning behind it. "Secondly, I find it very interesting that you specifically envisioned white Casablanca lilies. They don't grow on Asgard. So what significance did they have in your life on Earth?"

Without so much as looking at Loki, Hayley got up and silently went to the section of the room where the god of mischief had stacked all of his magic books. Her long black dress was flowing behind her since she had never possessed anything that looked like the elegant lace gown she had worn in her vision. Stubbornly she brushed away the tears that had started to stream down her face. "You never wanted to hear about my past, even when we were young. (Maybe he had already questioned his own heritage at that point in time and had instinctively shied away from that topic.) Why now? Just teach me the damn thought reading spell without torturing me anymore." Hayley had pushed her palms against the book shelf, let her head drop and took deep breaths to calm down.

"You need to tell me what happened. If you cannot deal with your own emotions, how will you ever be able to control those of others?" Loki hadn't moved from his spot but was Hayley hearing concern in his words? It could only be concern for her fighting abilities, couldn't it?

Eventually, Hayley succumbed to her agitated emotions and told Loki about the lilies and their meaning; or at least what Hayley thought was the meaning behind it. She told him about the car crash her parents had died in and the fact that she had witnessed it all. The young girl had been sitting in the backseat with a bouquet of flowers right next to her. They had been Casablanca lilies; her mother's favorites. She had bought them right before the accident on a farmer's market. That had been the last coherent memory before her parents' death.

During the nights following the crash, which Hayley had already been spending on Asgard, she would always dream about what had happened. However, her fragmented recollections formed horrible images in her head including the lilies turning red with blood. It took her years to understand that that could not have happened. Nevertheless, during the day the Casablanca lilies stayed her favorite flowers since happy memories of her mother went along with them.

Hayley wiped one last tear from her cheek, braced herself and turned around to face Loki; only to find him standing directly in front of her. When had he gotten up from his chair? She breathed in sharply and forced herself to look into his eyes. The sympathetic look she found there startled her and it apparently startled her vis-à-vis too. Quite obviously Loki didn't really know how to handle a crying Hayley right in front of him. He reached out to touch her cheek but the moment his fingers made contact with her skin he took a step back and walked away from her.

"Apparently we need to work on your self-control. Then we need to…" Overcome by anger, Hayley interrupted Loki's distant murmuring. "Self-control?" she shouted, "I tell you about self-control! First, you want me to pour out my heart to you and then you just ignore it! Screw you and your volatile shit! I am out of here; fight your battles alone!"

The tears had come back but this time fueled by her rage and desperation. When Hayley stormed out of the room, she was suddenly stopped by Loki grabbing her arm. With a pained look on his face he confronted her. His hands moved to her shoulders and held her in place.

Almost begging he said, "Please, don't go. I am sorry." After these words he looked away. His arms were hanging lethargically at his sides. Quietly he added, "I need you."

Hayley was looking at this vulnerable man, her former best friend, in front of her. He looked so young, so lost. She had never seen him like this. "Why?" she whispered.

Loki turned his head to look at her. "Because…," he hesitated, "because I've missed you." He was watching her face very closely, her confusion clearly showing. "Then why didn't you seek me out earlier? I was here the whole time." Hayley asked bewildered. Loki kept still; instead he slowly took her hand in his. It felt warm but Hayley could also feel the uncertainty behind his touch.

"I don't want to be alone anymore." Loki said earnestly whilst still carefully examining her every expression. "Me neither," was Hayley's short reply.

And with that they fell into each other's arms and embraced as if their lives depended on it. Silently Hayley was sobbing into Loki's shoulder while she could feel his breath against her neck. She had her best friend back. Momentarily, it didn't matter why they had lost so many years not talking to each other; Hayley just held on to him and he held on to her. The feeling of being needed as well as being someone's support was almost overwhelming after all those years of solitude.

A small knock on the door interrupted Hayley's and Loki's peaceful moment. She gently slipped out of his arms and quickly wiped her fresh tears away. With those big green and hopeful eyes Loki studied her and then turned to the door. Now more than ever he reminded her of the young boy she met on her first day on Asgard all these years ago. But when he shouted "Yes?" at the intruder behind the door Loki had returned to his regal mature self. He hadn't moved away from Hayley, though.

Sif entered with news of an uproar in the southern districts of Asgard involving some unknown furry creatures. They were to go and take care of the situation. So this would be where Hayley would be thrown in at the deep end. But so be it. Hayley had her friend back. It was all that counted right now. A small nagging feeling however made her wonder if the kind of friendship she had had with Loki when they were younger was enough for her now.

_**Flash forward:**_

_Later that day, Hayley returned to her chambers only to find a single flower had been placed on her nightstand – a white Casablanca Lily._

_**Flash back.**_


	5. Chapter 5 A ride to remember

_**Author's note:**__ Hey ho everyone! Thanks for still reading my story and bearing with me. Please keep the reviews coming – and feel free to post suggestions or tips for my fiction or diction :-). _

_My greatest wish right now: if someone ever made a fanart picture or even a fanvideo with the music I post for the chapters of my story; or maybe you could just find some that are similar to my fiction. Maybe in the future… :) _

_So long, have fun and take care!_

**Chapter 5: A ride to remember**

The furry creatures that haunted parts of the Asgardian city turned out to be more than plushy beasts. These critters were feral and vicious tearing not only livestock to bits and pieces but people as well. They had the bone structure of rats but were bigger than horses. Starting with a big leap, they would often attack anything that moved with their sharp and pointy teeth, not to mention their long claws. Add to that a deadly tail with spikes at its end and you had a very lethal opponent.

But before the warriors three, Sif, Thor, Loki and Hayley could take care of the infested parts of the city, they first had to get there by horse. Since Hayley had never sat on one of these animals in her life, Loki had to ride with her. If it hadn't been for all of the events – the plunge into Hayley's painful past, the reconciliation with her former best friend and the unexpected and sudden call to arms – happening in the blink of an eye, Hayley had hesitated longer before embarking on a journey into battle on horseback. Her arms were locked around Loki in a death grip, her body pressed against his.

"Are you alright back there?" shouted Loki while they were charging towards the scene of the uproar. He could feel her tightness against his back. Keeping her eyes closed Hayley mumbled "Ah ha" into his left shoulder plate. Except for, she hated it. As of right now, Hayley hated the speed at which the animal carried them towards her first challenge as a member of the team. She hated the fact that she had already failed at riding a mount on her own into battle. And she hated Loki and his god damn chiseled body for feeling so good underneath her hands while she should have been terrified of falling off or of the task at hand.

Nevertheless, Hayley was trembling from anticipation, fear and her uncertain feelings for the man, who so elegantly lead their horse towards certain danger. Before they reached the part of the city where the beasts were raging at the moment, they could already see people running towards them, trying to get away from the devastation and mayhem. Moreover, Hayley could hear Asgardians screaming while fleeing from the scene, carrying crying infants in their arms or some of them even farm animals.

The warriors stopped in their tracks and dismounted their horses. Loki got down first and helped Hayley down afterwards by grabbing her waist and putting her down on the ground. Their close proximity would have affect Hayley anew if it hadn't been for one of the ghastly creatures suddenly appearing behind a row of houses. From the corner of her eye Hayley got a glimpse of it charging at the two of them and she instinctively raised her force field to protect them both. Fortunately, the thing collided with it. Still, since Hayley hadn't had enough time to expand the shield that far, she could smell the rotten stench the furry beast emitted.

The next thing that happened was Loki's lightning strike that hit the critter right into the chest since it hadn't recovered from rebounding from Hayley's spell yet. It was dead on the spot. One down and as it turned out seven more to go. Alarmed, Hayley increased the width of her magical barrier from herself and Loki over to the others. But the animal that had attacked her seemed to be the first that had made contact with their group.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked worriedly. "Yes, thank you." Hayley answered and remained concentrated on her shield. Briefly Loki squeezed her shoulder gently and then closed ranks with his fellow warriors. All of them started to march slowly towards the location where the tumultuous noises were coming from. Hayley stayed behind them keeping her focus on the shield surrounding them.

They managed to fend off and eventually kill five of the remaining beasts. Fandral cut the face of one of them in half, Hogun and Fandral slayed another and Thor crushed two of the bizarre beasts with only one blow of his hammer. Lady Sif finally ended an exceptionally ugly specimen which Loki had wounded before.

However, they could still hear screaming from around a corner of the street they were currently in. They ran towards it and the first horrible thing Hayley noticed was that another one of the creatures had set its eyes and fangs on a group of children in front of a school building. Although all Asgardian constructions had a purely golden surface and reflected the light from their masterfully decorated faces, this beauty could not compensate for the horror Hayley was experiencing right now. Immediately, she expanded her force field to protect the students but she was far away and her strength began to weaken. She approached the scene behind the warriors still trying to shield them and the kids.

As if the monster knew about the effect of her barrier it backed away to the right where a group of adults was standing, frozen in their spot. What could only be the children's teachers or parents who wanted to rescue them were now in grave danger as well. Already on the brink of exhaustion, Hayley managed to stretch her shield over them all the same. She couldn't draw it back from the children however, since the creature was still too close.

She started feeling dizzy and her magic began to show cracks and crevices. But Hayley was determined to hold her position until everyone was out of harm's way. Luckily, at the exact moment the beast would have attacked a third group of bystanders Thor threw his hammer right at its head and it went down. Yet, Fandral had to pierce its heart to be sure of its demise.

Gradually Hayley retracted her silvery protection and started to relax. That must have been the last one of them since they didn't hear anymore sounds of distress or cries for help. When she had completely withdrawn her spell, Loki turned around and smiled at her. But his smile was instantaneously replaced by an expression of shock and he shouted "Hayley, turn around!"

They must have missed the very last one of the group of critters that had devastated this peaceful district because it had to have been lurking behind the team of warriors for quite some time – waiting to make its move. As quick as a flash Hayley spun around and saw the beast lunging right at her. Entirely exhausted and not fast enough she lamely put her arms over her face and thought "You don't want to kill me!"

For a fragment of a second she mused why she didn't think about not wanting to die. She waited for the impact and her last probably excruciatingly painful moments on this planet. But the clash didn't come. Instead she heard Loki's voice in her head "Focus on its instinct to flee. It doesn't want to kill you; it wants to flee from you!" Without hesitation she chanted in her head "You want to flee from me. Flee, flee!" and slowly opened her eyes.

When she finally focused her vision, she would have almost fainted right there on the spot if it hadn't been for Loki's hands that held her steady at her upper arms. Hayley was staring directly into the mouth of the last remaining monster; spikey fangs only a hair's breadth away from her cheek. "Keep forcing it to flee." Loki whispered into her ear. He must have jumped behind her when she had been turning around to face her attacker.

Hayley felt its hot revolting breath on her face but she kept repeating the same mantra in her head over and over again "Flee, flee!" This was only possible because Hayley felt Loki's magic pulsing through her veins and supporting her. Eventually and ever so slowly the beast retreated; one painfully measured step after another.

It never broke eye contact with its prey, though. When Loki and Hayley had established quite a distance between the creature and themselves, they saw Thor, Sif and the warriors three charging at it all together at the same time. It was slain in the blink of an eye.

Her whole body shaking, her knees too weak to steady her anymore and her magic all but drained, Hayley collapsed to the ground. She didn't really collapse though; she was carefully guided to the ground by two strong arms that were holding her. Hayley's chest was heaving trying to catch her breath and to calm her nerves while her back was pressed against Loki's hard cuirass with his arms wrapped around her. They were sitting in the middle of the school yard; everyone was watching them.

Neither Loki nor Hayley cared. "You did it. we did it. The thought control worked! You can calm down now, Hayley. It's over." Loki whispered into her ear. She could feel his smile against her neck. Hayley dropped her head back upon his shoulder and exhaled deeply.

"What were these things anyway?" she asked breathlessly. "I do not know." Loki answered truthfully "We will have to search the library when we get back home." He was still hugging her tightly and slightly stroking her arms to calm her down.

When Hayley finally made a move to get up, Loki helped her stand and offered her his arm. Even after battle his manners were still that of a prince of Asgard. He let her back to the others who had purposely kept their distance. When they joined them, Hayley received comments like "Well done!", "Good job!" or "It takes its toll on a human, doesn't it?" The last one came from Thor but Hayley didn't mind. Frankly, she was just happy to be alive. Nonetheless, she was clinging to Loki's arm for support.

She was so exhausted, the only thing she wanted to do was go home and take a bath and crawl into bed.

_**Flash forward:**_

_The warriors three, Thor and Sif had decided to help the people clear up the cadavers and the mess the creatures had made and start rebuilding fences and walls that had suffered from the critters as well as the fight against them._

_But they had also agreed on sending Loki and Hayley back to the castle in advance since the girl wouldn't have been much help anyway. Loki had to almost carry Hayley back to his horse and lifted her onto the saddle in front of him, so she wouldn't fall off. Hayley held on to the pommel in front of her and Loki mounted his horse gracefully behind her. One arm on either side of her he grabbed the reins and steered them back towards the castle._

_Hayley may have been dog-tired and she hurt in places she didn't even want to think about but she was still aware of the sensual situation she was in right now. Hayley and Loki kept quiet. Both of them occupied with their own musings. Since Loki had taken off his armor Hayley could feel his muscled arms and chest pressed against her body. Furthermore, his legs not only straddled the horses back they also straddled her. Loki led the mount in a slow but steady pace towards the castle and Hayley barely felt it underneath her. She only felt him._

"_I am proud of you." were the only words that were uttered during their ride home. _

_Later Loki accompanied Hayley to her rooms, said goodbye and after an awkward pause where they just stared at each other, he embraced her firmly. Before finally letting go and walking towards his own wing of the castle, Loki stroked over her head and flaming red hair and ever so gently kissed Hayley on the forehead. _

_Surprised, the girl watched his departure with a mixture of feelings surging through her body. She retreated into her own chambers only to find a single flower had been placed on her nightstand – a white Casablanca Lily. Next to it sat her diary. _

"_Oh no" she thought. If he had read it, she was in trouble._

_**Flash forward.**_


	6. Chapter 6 Dreams of lemon sorbet

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everyone! Thanks for reading my story and please keep the reviews coming so that I know that I am going in the right direction. Special thanks to those, who have reviewed before and especially and _Why so Sirius1236. I love you guys! _:) _

_So long, have fun and take care!_

**Chapter 6: Dreams of lemon sorbet**

Deliciously the lemon sorbet was melting on her tongue and calming her down. Hayley was sitting on her bed and thoroughly enjoying the treat she had stolen from the kitchen; or maybe borrowed – but if she continued eating at this rate, there wouldn't be anything left to return. After the incident with the furry beasts that had haunted parts of the city, Hayley had engulfed on a mission of doing really nothing and anything. All of it had ended with the succulent taste of the sweet and sour sorbet.

First, she had cleaned herself but that hadn't relaxed her one bit. She had still been thinking about the battle, about the horse ride, and about her diary next to the Casablanca lily on her nightstand. Both were still sitting still there since she hadn't touched them. Yes, she had been staring at them for quite some time going over the possibilities of Loki reading the whole thing or parts of it or if he had been a gentleman and hadn't laid a finger on it. But Hayley doubted that. He was the god of mischief after all.

After her bath, Hayley had cleaned her room, had put her books in alphabetical order, had read a few pages without registering any of the content, had put her books back in the order they had been before and had short of paced a furrow into her floor for overthinking the diary thing.

The icy dessert had finally calmed her down a little. Sucking on the cold spoon in her mouth she thought about all the chapters of her life that she had written about in her journal. It contained mere ramblings about her daily routine in Asgard when she was younger. But it also told the very sad and in many parts whiny and embarrassing story of the time when Loki stopped spending time with her. The writing of her teenage years was the most humiliating. There was a lot of self-loathing thoughts in that book mixed with her feelings of being alone all the time and even some suicidal tendencies. But didn't all adolescents have those sentiments?

Except that wasn't even the worst part. If Loki had just read those pages, he would lose all respect for her or maybe even laugh at her girly inferiority complex. Pity she could live with. What she probably could not live with was if he had read the smutty parts of her diary – involving him. At one point in time, when they were still friends but also some time after he had abandoned their friendship Hayley was having dreams about Loki; And not just ordinary dreams in which you only see faces or pictures or daily life. In most of them either her or him were lacking certain amounts of clothing.

Since Hayley had no experience in that matter and was only just discovering her sexuality she found her only way of coping was to write down these dreams. Now sitting on her bed, spoon still in her mouth, flashes of what she wrote about were appearing in front of her eyes. Loki's tongue in her mouth, his lips on her skin, her hand cupping his face, their bodies pressed against each other. The locations had changed as well. Hayley lying in a hayfield with Loki at her side and the sun streaming down on them, Loki kissing her between her naked shoulder blades, Loki pushing her against a wall in one of the secret corridors of the castle spreading her legs with his thigh.

Involuntarily Hayley licked her lips and then put another bite of sorbet into her mouth. She sighed and decided that there was no way of knowing if he had found out about her dirty little secret or not without asking him; and she would never have the guts to do so. So, after eventually finishing the whole bowl of her ice cold treat she went to sleep.

Initially, when Hayley found Loki hovering over her and staring deeply into her eyes with a wide grin on his face, she didn't know what to make of it. But when he lowered himself on top of her body and began kissing her jawline it dawned on her. This could only be another one of her dreams. Usually, she just realized that after she had woken up, but since Hayley enjoyed the attention Loki was giving her right now she decided to let it slip.

His hands were all over her; cupping her breasts, caressing her hair. He was kissing the nape of her neck while he was lying on top of her. Hayley was completely naked underneath the covers and the heat between her and Loki's body made her sweat. She clawed at his back while he was nibbling her skin. A small sigh escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open.

Hayley found herself alone in her bed and fully dressed but heavily panting. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. "Did you have a nice dream?" a familiar voice breathed.

Alarmed, Hayley sat bolt upright in bed. Loki was casually leaning in her doorframe, arms crossed. She noticed his meaningful smile and thought, does he know? How could he? "Loki, I told you, I don't want you rummaging around in my head; especially when I am sleeping!"

"Why, I didn't do anything to your head. What was it; did you dream something nasty?" Loki's innocent tone was contrasted by his broadening smile. Hayley didn't look at him.

This new day had Loki, clad in his usual black, green and slightly gold attire, standing at the door and possibly staring at her making a mess of herself. Hayley couldn't tell – sitting on the edge of her bed now she couldn't stand to look at him. Moreover, her flushed cheeks would be a tell-tale sign. "Go away, Loki. I need to get dressed first. Then you can have your way with me – I…, I mean, and then you can make fun of me all day long."

By Odin, what was she saying? Get a hold of yourself, girl! Hayley's feet touched the cool marble floor while her face was feverishly hot from both embarrassment and something else. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and stood up; then she turned to face the god of mischief, who had somehow even managed to cause mischief in her dreams. Loki hadn't changed his position but was grinning from ear to ear. "Do you need help with that changing your clothes part? May I opt for something green? The color brings out the red of your hair quite nicely."

Loki wasn't talking about dress colors, was he? Still a little confused, tired and flushed Hayley asked, "Why the sudden interest in my clothing, your highness prince of all that is green and leather?" Finally, she had her courage back. Head held high, Hayley glared at him. Loki raised an eyebrow, "You don't like my outfit? Well, I can tell you that – it is certainly made for battle; whereas your fighting attire leaves a lot to be desired." He expressively pronounced the last word of his sentence and then continued, "Your normal black dresses that you wear every day or in court simply won't do when you are up against a very agile opponent. Luckily, those beasts yesterday couldn't penetrate your shield. We will have someone make some armor for you." Loki was approaching her now while Hayley was still standing next to her bed and feeling more and more uncomfortable by the way Loki was talking about her clothing. The way he strolled over to her with that smirk on his face, she was almost certain that he must have read her diary and was now savoring his knowledge and her state of discomfort. When he reached her, he was standing inches away from her and whispered, "We don't want anything happening to that gorgeous body of yours, do we?"

Hayley swallowed hard when he tapped his right index finger on her sternum underneath her throat to emphasize his words. That was when she first realized that she was wearing a long white nightgown that enveloped her legs but didn't leave much to the imagination when it came to the upper part of her body. Slowly she glanced down to Loki's finger and noticed horrified that her erect nipples clearly stood out against the thin fabric. Hayley took one step back and crossed her arms over her chest. But by the way Loki's eyes wandered from her breasts up to her face she knew that he had certainly seen enough.

He tilted his head. Hayley stuttered, "Yeah, well, at least don't let them make it look like Sif's. My… style is quite different. And now, if you would excuse me, I need to… quickly go into the bathroom." And with that she turned on her heals and so much as ran into her adjacent chambers.

_**Flash forward:**_

_Loki was sitting in a rocking chair on a balcony of the palace and was enjoying the view of the city. He felt calmer and more relaxed than he had in a long time. For lack of a better word, he felt as if everything was going to be alright. He was only wearing black trousers without boots but he didn't feel any cold in his bare upper body. Rocking back and forth, Loki was cradling a small infant in his arms. The child was warm against his skin and in its sleep radiated pure joy. _

_Incredulous, Loki was staring down at the bundle in his arms. This whole situation was as strange as it was perfect. Too perfect, Loki thought. But he didn't want to question his state of bliss. Gently someone put a hand on his shoulder. Freeing one arm from the babe he grasped the hand and kissed its palm. He knew this soft skin. A voice behind him said quietly, "How is our son today?"_

_**Flash forward.**_


	7. Chapter 7 Just a kiss

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everyone! Thanks again for following my story and all the lovely reviews. I love all of you guys! :) Special thanks again for your council fuchsia grasshopper and Why so Sirius1236 and __Decepticon - silverstreak__ and __Kat7CA__. _

_BTW, (review: "The creature things in this reminded me a bit of the "R.O.U.S.'s" (rodents of unusual size) from the Princess Bride. *shrugs*)"That is the first time that I have heard about these things since I haven't seen The Princess Bride yet. I know – shame on me :) But I guess you're right; they kind of look like I pictured the furry beasts in my story. Although, I was thinking more of the thing in the Star Wars II arena scene. Anyway, I need to watch that movie…_

_This chapter was inspired by the song Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum. I posted the link on my profile._

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care!_

**Chapter 7: Just a kiss**

Loki stormed into their training room, his dark green cape billowing behind him. Hayley didn't need to take a look at his stern face to see that he was not in a good mood. In fact, he was downright steaming. Fists clenched he was pacing the room. Hayley kept standing near the stash of magic books because she knew that the worst thing she could do right now was to interfere with his rage. Even at a young age Loki had had a temper and Hayley had learned back then that he needed to be left alone in this stage for a while until he calmed down and wanted to talk about it himself.

After a while, without having said a word, Loki retreated to the adjacent balcony and gripping the handrail tightly he exhaled deeply. Slowly Hayley approached him from behind. He moved his head a little to the side where she was coming from but didn't turn around. Tentatively she placed a hand on his left shoulder and quietly spoke to him "What is the matter Loki? Can I help in any way?" Before, she had sensed that their previous banter in her bedroom was over. He needed her in all sincerity.

"I am afraid I can only help myself." Hayley could hear the crack in his voice. With his voice full of emotion he turned around to face her and explained. "My father has just proclaimed Thor as his successor. Thor, of all people! You know him; he cannot be a righteous king of Asgard! He's a child! I mean, I know that father had to decide eventually and I am not saying that I'd be a better fit. But it is too early for Thor to rule! I… He's arrogant and reckless! He's…" With a sigh Loki stopped.

Hayley looked into those weary, desperate big eyes of his and was overcome by sympathy for him. After all, she knew that he was right. But she was also aware of the fact that he didn't want to admit to himself that he was disappointed, too. Odin had not chosen him. He'd never be king of Asgard. And on top of it, his moronic brother would be.

The only reaction Hayley was capable of was saying "I'm sorry, Loki." But realizing that this wasn't nearly enough she threw herself into his arms and hugged him as tightly as she could. She didn't care if he thought her foolish or emotional or didn't want to be hugged; he simply needed to be. Her instincts told her it was the right thing to do. Certainly taken aback by her actions, Loki suddenly clutched her as if his life depended on it. Apparently he was in desperate need of human contact, telling him that it was going to be fine.

"I am here for you." Hayley whispered into his ear and she could feel a slight sob coming from him. It was the most vulnerable state Hayley had ever seen him in. She was rubbing his back, chest pressed against chest, leather against leather. Hayley made a small move to adjust her position in his arms when she felt his hand stroke her back slightly. Then, gradually Loki felt the fabric on her back more closely and then ended the embrace by gripping her shoulders. Hayley looked at his face and saw that a tear had slipped down his cheek. With a reassuring smile she cupped his face with her hand and wiped the trail away with her thumb.

Loki grabbed her hand and looked at it. That's when she realized that he was noticing her outfit for the first time. "You're wearing it." He said slowly. Loki examined her more thoroughly. Hayley was wearing a long black skirt and a red blouse. But on top of it she was wearing a black leather vest with silver engravings made for battle. Moreover, her hands were equipped with fingerless gloves in a lacey design.

When Hayley had come out of her bathroom after the incident with Loki this morning she had found the clothes on her bed. Not sure how he had managed to find something for her so soon Hayley figured he had to have conjured something up. The gloves were exuding an air of magic and when Hayley had put them on for the first time she could immediately feel their energy. It was as if they tapped into her inner magic and made it more accessible to her.

"It looks good on you." Loki said with a small smile. "Let's train. I need a distraction!" and with that he threw his cape over a chair at the wall and conjured up two more in the middle of the room. So they would be practicing thought influence again; without another word about the emotional turmoil Loki was without a doubt still experiencing. Hayley wanted to give him his distraction, though if it made him feel better. Her insides were all hurting so badly because of the sad look on his face. She probably needed the disruption, too.

However, when they started Hayley could feel straight away that Loki's focus wasn't back to normal. She could easily penetrate his mind's walls and implement a scenario in his head for the first time. Hayley wanted to bring him a moment of peace and bliss. So she focused on these emotions and let the scene play out.

_Loki was sitting in a rocking chair on a balcony of the palace and was enjoying the view of the city. He felt calmer and more relaxed than he had in a long time. For lack of a better word, he felt as if everything was going to be alright. He was only wearing black trousers without boots but he didn't feel any cold in his bare upper body. Rocking back and forth, Loki was cradling a small infant in his arms. The child was warm against his skin and in its sleep radiated pure joy. _

_Incredulous, Loki was staring down at the bundle in his arms. This whole situation was as strange as it was perfect. Too perfect, Loki thought. But he didn't want to question his state of bliss. Gently someone put a hand on his shoulder. Freeing one arm from the babe he grasped the hand and kissed its palm. He knew this soft skin. A voice behind him said quietly, "How is our son today?"_

Loki shook his head and opened his eyes again to stare at Hayley questioningly. Then he declared that their training session was over for today and that he needed some time alone. Vanishing into thin air Loki left a confused Hayley sitting on her chair and contemplating the course of the day. This could easily qualify as one of the most uncommon days of her life and it wasn't even afternoon yet. What would the evening have in store for her?

Later that day, Hayley was continuing her contemplation in her room and was trying to study one of Loki's spell books at the same time. Loki on the other hand had sought out Heimdall. They had been talking about Loki's situation for quite some time now when Heimdall said "Thor may not be the king yet Asgard deserves. But he can become a great king with the help of his family and friends. He needs guidance and support. Be that support, Loki." A barely perceptible smile played on the lips of the god of mischief. "That is exactly what Hayley said when we used to talk about the succession to the throne."

Heimdall, who had not moved an inch during the entirety of their conversation, slightly turned to Loki who was staring at the water beneath the bifröst bridge. "That girl is wise beyond her years. You treasure her dearly as a friend?" "Yes…" was Loki's short and pensive reply. "You know that I see everything. And I see her too. When in previous years you were barely talking to her she still cared about you. She would watch you from afar."

Loki turned to him. "But, I thought…" Heimdall interrupted him. "You have failed her, Loki. That is why I do not understand her lasting affection for you. However, you know that. After all, you have read her diary." And with that Heimdall returned to his usual stance guarding the portal of the bifröst. Loki glanced at the castle in the distance and murmured "That I did indeed."

_**Flash forward:**_

_(Lyin' here with you so close to me_

_It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe_

_I'm caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile)_

_The moon was shining brightly onto Hayley's balcony. The night air was still warm and Hayley was lying on a blanket watching the stars in a light midnight blue dress. She had always preferred the nighttime. After all, burning sun had never suited her pale complexion. Holding on to her diary she was smiling about her last entry. The time she had spent with Loki lately had considerably improved her mood. Her writing before that had mostly been defined by darker thoughts. What she didn't know was that the god of mischief himself was lying next to her cloaked by an invisibility spell._

_(I've never opened up to anyone_

_So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms_

_We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow)_

_Loki studied her face. He knew it, from the faint freckles on her nose to her brilliant blue eyes and her soft pink lips. He got up and looked at the full moon. At this moment he decided that he would show himself to Hayley. _

_When Loki suddenly appeared out of nowhere Hayley was as startled as ever. She hated that spell! His back was turned towards her and she decided to get up. Lying in front of the god of mischief seemed not to be the best of ideas. "Good evening." Hayley said hesitantly. She was trying to figure out the mood Loki was in by just staring at his back. His shoulders relaxed a little and he turned around._

"_Do you remember that conversation we once had at the stream when we were younger?" Loki asked, the mischief clearly sparkling in his eyes._

_Oh dear, he had read the journal, Hayley thought. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "N – no, I'm not really sure what you mean." She swallowed hard._

_With a look at the book between her clutching fingers Loki said "Ooh, I think you know what I mean. You asked me if I ever kissed a girl because you wanted to know how it felt." Hayley just stared at him in embarrassment. She blinked a couple of times but still couldn't find the nerve to reply anything. Her worst nightmare had come true. He had read about the most humiliating events in her life. Moreover, he even remembered. _

_Slowly he was approaching her and said calmly "Has that changed for you?"_

_Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest when she stuttered "Well, no… I mean actually, I…" Loki was standing right in front of her now and said "Mmh, I thought as much." He tucked a lose strand of her fiery red hair behind her ear. "Would you still like to know?"_

_(I know that if we give this a little time_

_It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find_

_It's never felt so real, no, it's never felt so right)_

_Hayley gasped as Loki placed a hand on her hip and pulled her against him. His left hand resting on the small of her back, he caressed her cheek with his right. He gazed intently into her moonlit eyes and lowered his face to hers. _

_(Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_

_No, I don't want to mess this thing up_

_I don't want to push too far_

_Just a shot in the dark that you just might_

_Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life_

_So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight)_

_His lips almost grazing hers, he breathed "Tell me!" Hayley had closed her eyes and was overwhelmed by her feelings. She leaned a little forward but Loki kept the paper thin distance between their mouths. "Say it." As his lips pronounced the order Hayley could already feel his skin on hers. And with a barely audible "Yes" Loki's lips were on hers. He felt warm and soft on her skin and was moving excruciatingly slowly. Hayley placed a hand around his neck to get even more of him and she could actually feel the smile that appeared on Loki's face. With his thumb he traced the line of her jaw and tilted her head gently upwards. At the same time he carefully nudged her chin towards him, which made Hayley open her mouth ever so slightly. His tongue caressed her lower lip and then invaded her. Loki started his play anew with her tongue and caused even more incredible sensations inside Hayley's body. If he hadn't held her so tightly, she wouldn't know if she was still standing. Reluctantly, he retreated._

_(No, I don't want to say goodnight_

_I know it's time to leave_

_But you'll be in my dreams_

_Tonight, tonight, tonight)_

_Breathlessly, they gazed at each other. "Well… now you know," Loki said without sounding as aloof as he had hoped. He took one more look at her – she was radiant beneath the moonlight – and he was gone._

_**Flash forward.**_


	8. Chapter 8 Competition

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everyone! Thanks to your reviews I now think that I am an "amazing person" who writes an "epic story"! I've just been running around the house screaming "I'm an amazing person lalalala" :) Never mind, keep the reviews coming but be assured that they have a huge influence on me and keep me alive – so no pressure :)!_

_As of right now there is a beautiful fanart picture of Hayley out there on the internet made by the amazing Why so Sirius1236. Check it out – the link is on my profile._

_In "Thor" there is a deleted scene with Loki and Thor before the big entrance scene in which they talk about an incident in Nornheim. So, I thought I might use that and googled it. Then I found Karnilla – if you don't know her, neither do I… But I looked at a few pictures of her and thought I might include her in my little story. If you don't approve – well, as Loki would say "I do what I want!" :)_

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care!_

**Chapter 8: Competition**

Hayley was standing in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. Carefully she touched her lips. Had that kiss really happened last night? Had all of it been a dream? Even if it had happened, it couldn't mean anything, could it? Loki only wanted her to know that he had read her diary. That he was in control. Hayley racked her brains but decided that it was no use. She was still shaken up when a knock on the door broke her trance.

A servant told Hayley that she was to attend a meeting in the great hall, immediately. Worried, she hurried there at once and found Odin on his throne together with his sons, Frigga, Sif and the warriors three already deep in discussion. Self-consciously she walked up to them and glanced at Loki. He shot her a quick look she couldn't place and then continued arguing with the rest.

Apparently, they were talking about someone called Karnilla. Hayley had never heard about her but it turned out that she was living in a fortress on the outskirts of Asgard. She didn't consider herself and her guardian demons as well as her Asgardian subjects under Odin's jurisdiction. However, as long as she stayed in her province, Odin didn't mind her dwelling.

"She thinks that two sorcerers out in the open are a threat to her. Loki alone she could handle, in her opinion." Loki frowned but his brother continued. "Now, she is threatening us with war. Karnilla has summoned her troops. That is an open provocation, father."

"Thor, Karnilla is just scared that she isn't the only enchantress in our realm anymore; now that Hayley is fighting with you." Odin said slowly with a scrutinizing look at Hayley. The young woman seemed to crumble under his gaze. Was she causing all this trouble?

Loki demonstratively stepped next to Hayley and then said, "Father, let us talk to her. Let us show her that we are no threat to her… magical prowess. She need not fear us." Thor added, "Yes, let's go. And if she doesn't agree, she will find that we do not take lightly to threats."

It was agreed. Their group was to go negotiate with another sorceress, who Hayley had just learned about and who apparently already didn't like her very much. Great! Everybody scurried around to get their battle gear and to get to the horses except for Hayley and Loki. Hayley was still frozen to her spot on the golden stairs ascending the throne. Loki went to her and grabbed her forearms. "Listen to me," he said, "it is going to be fine. Karnilla is just a little eccentric. I have met her a few times and her magic will not hold against ours combined. She must have gotten wind of your addition to our team and just wants to check out her competition." "By summoning her troops?" Hayley asked incredulously.

Loki smiled wearily, "That is just her style. She is a monarch and has to demonstrate her power. Don't worry!" His thumbs had been caressing her arms to calm her down. With a reassuring look he added, "Go get dressed and don't forget your gloves. We may need them."

Well, that was encouraging. Pulse racing, Hayley changed and ran back to the stables. Halfway there she realized that she'd again be riding with Loki. She still hadn't figured out how to handle a horse much less how to handle her feelings for the god of mischief; to say nothing of a fellow sorcerer who wanted her out of the way. This seemed to become another more than interesting day for her.

Right when she was almost there and missing her quiet reading hours in the library, a horse rode up beside her, a hand grabbed her from behind and she was hoisted up into the saddle. When she looked behind her she saw that she was now sitting in front of Loki who had a wide grin on his face. Trying to hide the fact that he had scared her once again and her following frustration, Hayley shifted in the saddle to get more comfortable. Thus causing some friction between their bodies and with Loki following her every move, she finally surrendered to his guidance.

One hand on the reins and the other on her belly, Loki cooed, "Relax. I've got you." Hayley could feel his smirk against her cheek and was grinding her teeth. Cocky son of a bitch – was he even aware of what he was doing to her? It sure didn't help with the prospect of fighting an entire army of demons or their magic wielding leader.

During their ride to Nornheim, Loki's hands in particular seemed to enjoy their task. He had to make sure that Hayley was seated properly and didn't fall off. But why did he have to check every two minutes if her leg was placed right, her posture was upright or even her neck was in the right position for crying out loud? Hayley was torn between being annoyed and thoroughly relishing his attention. Those delicate strong hands that he placed all over her body with these long fingers… No, she wouldn't succumb to his charms! Too many Asgardian women had before; maybe even this Karnilla, too. Hayley would have to confront him about their situation when they got back home.

Shortly before they reached the gates of the fortress Nornkeep they were greeted by a group of Karnilla's guards and servants. One of them, dressed in silver and blue attire, stepped forward. "Her majesty Karnilla welcomes the two princes and their escort. She will regard it as a peace offering if only the two sorcerers come into the palace. The mighty Thor will be able to talk to her majesty afterwards when the petty business of sorcery has been dealt with."

Thor who had become disgruntled to say the least by these words, relaxed a little after the last flattery. The group dismounted and Loki, who for his part had been offended by the phrase 'petty magic', persuaded Thor to let him and Hayley enter first. "Let us go first. And if it must be, you will have your quarrel with her sooner or later."

Leaving their horses and team members behind, Hayley and Loki walked through the gates accompanied by the group of servants and guards. As they entered the impenetrable walls of the castle, Hayley could see Karnilla's demon troops for the first time. These creatures didn't seem that intimidating apart from the fact that they were about two times the size of her and stacked with muscles. Other than that they seemed pretty thick to her. She could easily detect that by just looking into their unfocused eyes in a huge head on a huge and almost naked body covered in orange skin.

Still, a shiver ran down her spine as they entered Karnilla's throne room. Loki had his hand on the small of her back to guide her and this time she needed his touch for support. Self-assured, Karnilla was sitting on her throne and watched them halt before the stairs ascending to her. She rose and spoke loudly, "Welcome to Nornheim, Prince Loki. I can see that you brought your pet."

She smirked and approached them. Hayley could see that Karnilla was a tall woman with a slender figure and black curly hair. Her crown was shaped like antlers and made of pure silver. Her see-through, blue dress didn't leave much to the imagination.

Loki moved his hand around Hayley's waist to tug her at his side more securely and said, "This is Lady Hayley, Karnilla. We are very fortunate to accept your most gracious offer of inviting us here." He made a small bow but never let Karnilla out of his sight. Hayley sensed that something wasn't right.

"Let me look at you – Hayley. What an odd name; very common, I might say." With one hand she shoved Loki to the side who immediately eyed his surroundings if he could stand a chance in a direct fight. Karnilla was circling Hayley now who tried to hold her head up high in spite of being scrutinized from head to toe. Loki didn't like what he was seeing but so far nothing bad had happened.

Karnilla grabbed a strand of Hayley's red hair and curled it around her finger. "You have beautiful hair, girl. But do you have beautiful magic, too?" Suddenly, she yanked Hayley's head back and shot a purple bolt of lightning out of her index finger directly at Hayley's throat. Instinctively, the girl blocked it with her force field and stumbled back towards Loki. He caught her from behind and held her at her shoulders, "Karnilla, what are you doing? What was that? We came here to negotiate peace. You could have killed her!"

"Impressive," the enchantress mumbled darkly and then continued, "Oh, but I didn't kill her, did I? Why haven't you introduced us before, Loki? We cannot have two sorcerers against one in our small realm of Asgard. It simply won't do." And with her last words she conjured up two ropes that bound together first Hayley's and then Loki's wrists. Quickly Hayley tried to break them with her magic but it just wouldn't take her orders. Panicked she looked at Loki who was staring intently at Karnilla. "They look much better like this, don't they Veneficus?"

Hayley watched horrified as a small, green but vicious looking dragon appeared on Karnilla's shoulder and snaked his long red tongue across her cheek. "Let's see what she does when she cannot use her hands and those remarkable gloves." And with that Karnilla invoked a spell that created a cloud of violet mist that started to engulf Hayley. The girl could do nothing but watch in shock as small scarlet tentacles lashed out at her from the smoke. It burned every time they touched her skin and in addition were growing by the second. Hayley couldn't move, she couldn't defend herself and she couldn't take the pain any more. Screaming, she sank to the ground and begged Karnilla to stop it. From a distance she could hear Loki utter the same plea. He was screaming and unequivocally furious.

The last thing she noticed was the fading pain and that Loki was holding her in his arms. Tears were streaming down her face but her head was resting against his chest. Then she blacked out.

_**Flash forward:**_

_When Hayley came to, her head was pounding. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. Everything was black around her. For all she knew, she could have gotten blind or be dead. She sat up and touched the surface of what she was sitting on. It was made of wood; that she could tell. She felt a little further around her and made contact with skin. Hayley startled but then she realized that it was a hand. And then something groaned._

_**Flash forward.**_

_**A/N:**__ Review question of the chapter: Do you identify with Hayley and why?_


	9. Chapter 9 Pitch black

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everyone! It is so very generous of you to appreciate my little Loki-story when there are so many amazing "Thor"-and "Avengers"- fanfictions out there. I hope I can keep it interesting for you._

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care!_

**Chapter 9: Pitch black**

When Hayley came to, her head was pounding. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. Everything was black around her. For all she knew, she could have gotten blind or be dead. She sat up and touched the surface of what she was sitting on. It was made of wood; that she could tell. She felt a little further around her and made contact with skin. Hayley startled but then she realized that it was a hand. And then something groaned.

Her hands still bound she reached for the person next to her. In this pitch black world all Hayley could do was try to understand her surroundings by touch. As soon as she traced the leather of the sleeve up to the shoulder of the man that was lying next to her, she knew; it was Loki. "Loki?" she whispered uncertainly. He grumbled again and Hayley heard him shift his position.

When Loki was sitting upright against the cold and damp stone wall he took Hayley's bound hands and led them to his face. Hayley didn't understand why and was about to ask so when she felt it. Her fingers touched his cold skin at his forehead, then his nose and cheeks and then… Hayley's fingers felt cold metal on Loki's skin and it took her a moment to comprehend that he had some kind of muzzle on and couldn't speak.

Therefore, she was even more surprised to hear his voice in her head. He softly spoke to her, "Are you alright, Hayley?" "Yes, I think so. Where are we?" Hayley said out loud. Loki continued whilst still holding her hands, "We are in the dungeons of Nornkeep. This… thing Karnilla put on me prevents me from doing any magic. I guess", he examined the shackles around Hayley's wrists with his fingers "she did the same to you. These handcuffs you're wearing are different from the rope she tied us up with before. They are made from a very rare element that blocks any spell of yours since you mainly use your hands for that. Me, I am called "silver tongue" for a reason. Only Karnilla has the key for this contraption I am wearing. Could you at least try with the rope around my wrists, please?"

Hayley realized that Loki's hands were still bound with the same rope from the throne room. She started to untie the knot, "What happened after… you know… the spell?" Since she didn't hear Loki's answer right away she stopped with her task at hand and repeated "Loki?" He grabbed her hands and then she heard him again. "I need to touch you to put my voice into your head. This way my residual magic can flow through you and I can use the little you have left, too, to communicate." "Alright," Hayley answered. "then let me get rid of that rope first and then you can explain this horrid darkness to me." She fumbled with the ends of the cord and eventually managed to unravel the few knots that held it together. Loki freed himself and tossed it into a corner. Hayley could hear him rub his sore wrists and longed to do so herself, since her shackles were too tight around her flesh.

Finally, Loki found her hands again. This time, he entwined their fingers. If she now thought about how good that felt, would he be able to hear that in her head? If he did so indeed, he didn't say so because he continued without mentioning it. "We need to get out of here. After you passed out in the throne room, Karnilla had us thrown into her quite literally Dark Dungeons." Luckily, Loki couldn't see Hayley blushing at his mentioning her fainting; but that spell had hurt like hell! "If we only had a little light." was Hayley's reply. She decided to at least try, unwillingly freed her fingers from Loki's and thought about a small spell of how to produce the flame of a candle in the palm of your hand. Only, as soon as she tried to execute it, her handcuffs became flaming hot and glowing red.

Hit by a searing pain almost as bad as Karnilla's purple cloud in the throne room, Hayley fell from the makeshift bench onto her knees on the icy stone floor. Willing her consciousness not to leave her, she heard Loki swear underneath his muzzle, and felt him slide down next to her on the floor. Loki held Hayley until the pain almost subsided. His hands brushed her neck and she heard him again in her head speaking gently, "I told you those shackles block magic." Since her mouth was still occupied with both grinding her teeth and uttering stifled whimpers, she answered him in her mind. "You could have mentioned the excruciating pain if disregarded."

He caressed her hairline and the nape of her neck. "Is it better now?" If it hadn't already, what he did with his fingers sure would have helped her get distracted from it. "Yes, it is. What are we going to do without magic?" Hayley leant her head against his shoulder and relaxed into his touch. Loki had started to form little circles with his thumbs on her skin. He massaged the parts of her neck and shoulders that weren't covered by her blouse. Short of sitting on Loki's lap, Hayley's back sank onto his chest and she had to stop herself from uttering a moan of pleasure.

Feeling Loki caress her skin here in this pitch black world of all places almost seemed surreal to Hayley. The thought crossed her mind that she had the ultimate excuse to touch him. It reminded her of one of her dreams. She cleared her throat, turned around and took one of Loki's hands in hers. "How do we get out of here? We cannot wait for Thor to rescue us." Even in her mind she could hear Loki's annoyance. "No, we will not wait for my brother! Let's check this cell for any loop holes."

And with that he got up and bereft Hayley of his soothing touch. She heard him feel the walls or scratch and knock on some cracks and crevices. So, she decided to do the same. Three walls of the very small cell seemed to be made of concrete stone. When Loki and Hayley had about grasped the extent of them, they met again at the fourth wall and found that it contained a barred door. Both of them felt the thick poles for any chance to damage or break them, but all they could find was that the door was thoroughly sealed by a heavy lock.

Hayley sighed and reached for Loki's hand. "What now?" she said disheartened. Reassuringly he squeezed her palm. "As far as I can tell, that is no normal lock. Only magic can open it." "Great." Hayley mumbled in her head. "Well, there is one thing we haven't tried before and I guess if at all we only have one try. I could channel all the magic I can muster into you and you'd do the same and this might just be enough to open the lock. You know that opening locks is one of the easiest spells to do." "But you saw what happened when I try a spell with these things on." Hayley shook her forearms to stress her point even though Loki couldn't see it. But he could very well feel it underneath his fingers, and he felt her anxiety, too.

"Yes, that's the catch. You are going to feel pain – a lot of pain. The shackles will prevent you from using the full extent of your powers but you'll have to hold out until the lock opens. I promise, I wouldn't ask this of you if there was any other way. But you can at least wriggle your fingers a little and I can't even utter a single sound. I'm sorry." Hayley's heart started to beat very fast and her breathing quickened. Apart from the emotional agony of losing her parents and later her best friend, she had experienced greater pain today than she had in her whole protected life. Nevertheless, she'd do it! She wasn't a child anymore and she could do it. Loki would be there to help her.

"I'll catch you if you faint again." Hayley wasn't quite sure how this was possible but she did hear in her head the grin with which Loki had said his last words. Hayley took a deep breath. "Let's do this!" Through the bars, she clasped the lock as far as her handcuffs would allow her. Loki positioned himself behind her and let his hands run slowly but surely over her shoulders to her arms and onto her hands. "Ready?" Hayley gave a quiet sound of approval and focused. She felt Loki's palms become a hint warmer and heard his "Now!" in her head. Hayley focused her entire energy on one of the first spells Loki had ever taught her. First, the pain was bearable; Loki's magic seemed to take some of it away. But then it rose to a stage where she couldn't take it anymore. However, Loki's magical and physical presence made it impossible for her to stop. Piercing agony originated from her hands to her arms and upper body and eventually engulfed her whole being. Tears ran down her cheeks and she could barely stifle a scream. On the brink of losing her consciousness for a second time that day, Hayley heard a cathartic click of the lock and collapsed into Loki's arms.

Both heavily panting, Loki held her upright pressed against his chest. Hayley lifted a shaky hand to her nose to wipe away the trickling blood.

Once they were out of the cell, their surroundings turned from pitch black to grey shadows and finally almost normal colors when they reached the end of a long staircase. All of it was happening in a blur to Hayley. Loki had put his arm around her and half carried, half dragged her up the steps. In the back of her mind Hayley wondered about the lack of guards and resistance. But when they came close to the throne room, it dawned on them why.

Inside, a battle was raging; Karnilla and parts of her demon guards against Thor, the warriors three and Sif. Without a sorcerer Karnilla's attacks were difficult to handle. Loki and Hayley stumbled through the large double winged doors. Since Loki couldn't signal his brother about their presence, Hayley screamed with her last ounce of strength. "Thor! We need the key!" Thor turned around and Hayley gestured at Loki's muzzle. Thor frowned but when he turned to face Karnilla once more, he found her wearing the key as a pendant around her neck. Before she could bellow her next spell, he pounced at her, ripped off the necklace and threw it to Loki. Hayley sank to the floor, her nose still dripping blood.

Dazed she watched as little drops fell on her hand. Then from the corner of her eye she saw as Loki's muzzle landed rattling on the ground a few feet away from her. Her blurry vision permitted her from noticing what was going on around her in detail. The next thing she realized was Sif's warning shout, "Hayley, watch out!" But she could already feel the small and pointy claws of Karnilla's pet dragon tearing into her back. She screamed and tried to swipe the beast away with her arms. Unfortunately, she was still wearing those cursed shackles, so she did the only thing she could think of. Hayley mustered the last bit of her strength, got up and drove her back against a wall. A nasty cracking sound followed and a rather curious sensation on Hayley's right side.

The girl felt the limp body of the creature fall to the ground behind her and at the same time parts of her body started to grow numb. She twisted and found bite marks on her right side just above her hip. "It bit me," she whispered. The very next moment, Loki was at her side and finally released her from her shackles. All of a sudden, she wasn't able to move at all.

Flashes of what happened next crossed her vision; Loki picking her up, both of them suddenly being back in Asgard, the golden ceiling of the king's chambers, her bed, Loki's hand on her forehead and concern written all over his face. Then Hayley blacked out.

_**Flash forward:**_

_Hayley didn't open her eyes. However, she didn't know why she had been sleeping after all. Quietly, she overheard the conversation of two voices that seemed slightly familiar._

"_Father, please, is there nothing you can do? I cannot lose her. She's… important."_

"_All we can do is wait, Loki. We have the antidote. Let's hope she wasn't weakened too much by your escape. Sit with her. It'll help both of you."_

_A few moments later, Hayley felt a warm hand in hers and then a kiss on her forehead._

"_Please, don't leave me," a voice whispered. "I need you."_

_**Flash back.**_

_**A/N:**__ Review question of the chapter: How shall we punish Karnilla? Let's think of something together! :)_


	10. Chapter 10 Break the spell

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everyone, we meet again :)! As always, many thanks to my reviewers and for accepting me to the great community "for the love of Loki" ;). _

_Your suggestions on how to punish Karnilla are as cruel as they are creative. Keep going – I love them and could never come up with something as sadistic as that :)!_

_This chapter was inspired by the very great song "Break the Spell" by my favorite musicians Daughtry! I hope you enjoy the lyrics since they perfectly tie in with our little story :). I guess, since the emotional side of Loki is barely shown in the movies, my portrayal of him features parts of Tom Hiddleston's roles in "War Horse" and "Return to Cranford". Watch them – they're amazing!_

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care!_

**Chapter 10: Break the spell**

Hayley didn't know where she was or what time it was. She wasn't even quite sure who she was herself. The only thing she did know was that her small confined world seemed to have been made from pure white sizzling pain. In and out of consciousness, the girl didn't realize much of what was going on around her. Familiar voices or a familiar touch now and then, but none could diminish her agony.

Finally, when Hayley had started thinking of this as her personal chamber in hell, an acidly tasting tincture was forced into her mouth. Gradually, the pain decreased and she slipped into sleepless stupor.

The first person at her bedside that Hayley coherently recognized was Frigga, the Queen of Asgard herself. After her parents' death, Frigga was the only one who came close to a mother figure for Hayley. However, since her profession as Queen kept her from spending much time with Hayley they rarely saw each other.

Equally surprised and confused Hayley tried to stir and talk to the Queen. "Please don't move and exert yourself, child," the Queen said softly. Hayley blinked but couldn't quite get her face into focus. "You're still under the influence of Karnilla's poison. But you are awake, now. That is a good sign. The antidote must have gained the upper hand in your body."

Gently, Frigga stroked Hayley's head and held her hand. Barely audible Hayley asked hoarsely "What happened?" "As my son tells me, you were bitten by Veneficus before you killed him. Thor said Karnilla got wild with rage when she realized her beloved pet dragon had been killed by a mere mortal." The way Frigga smiled to herself after her last words told Hayley she did indeed not consider her a "mere" mortal. The Queen continued. "Unfortunately, his teeth were very poisonous and the venom must have had an effect on you quite instantaneously, after all you had been through prior to that. Anyway, Loki teleported you directly back here after he saw your condition. Our healer tried anything she could to help you but for a while your life was hanging in the balance. We were in desperate need of the antidote and only Karnilla had it.

She was held captive in her own castle after it had been managed to defeat her. Loki went straight back to Nornkeep and when Thor arrived there some time later he could barely manage to control his brother. If it hadn't been for Thor, Loki would have killed her without her giving us the information we needed. Thor said Loki was beside himself with rage." Frigga grew pensive. "Allegedly, Loki tortured Frigga until she would tell him where she had stored the antidote. Even after he returned and your wounds started to heal he was still on edge. I have never seen him like this before."

This was too much unsettling information for Hayley to take in at the same time. Her mind was still hazy and her eyelids became heavy again. She blinked and then mumbled before closing her eyes completely "Thank you for telling me." Hayley's head rolled to the side and she drifted back to sleep. But from a distance she heard the final words from Frigga. "Get well soon, Hayley. My son needs you. He just doesn't know it quite yet."

The next time Hayley regained consciousness, she didn't open her eyes. However, she didn't know why she had been sleeping after all. Quietly, she overheard the conversation of two voices that seemed slightly familiar.

"Father, please, is there nothing you can do? I cannot lose her. She's… important."

"All we can do is wait, Loki. We have the antidote. Let's hope she wasn't weakened too much by your escape. Sit with her. It'll help both of you."

A few moments later, Hayley felt a warm hand in hers and then a kiss on her forehead.

"Please, don't leave me," a voice whispered. "I need you."

It was Loki. He was sitting at her bedside and he was holding her hand. In fact, he was begging her not to leave him, not the other way around. Hayley blinked and looked at his pale face. "If anything, I'd do that only to repay you for leaving me."

Loki's head spun around. He stared at her incredulously. "You're awake," he whispered and kissed the back of the hand he was holding. "I thought I had lost you." Hayley was relieved that she could wipe away that profound look of sadness from his face just by being alive.

"People come back even after you think that you might have lost them forever," Hayley said weakly. "It has happened to me and I wouldn't wish it on anyone." A pained look shot across Loki's face and he buried his face into her shoulder.

"I should never have left you. I was so stupid! But I was so young and naïve. Please Hayley, can you forgive me?" He was looking straight into her eyes now, desperation written all over his face. Hayley gave him a small smile. Her arm felt unnaturally heavy but she still managed to caress his cheek. "Yes, I can," was Hayley's simple answer.

Loki smiled backed at her but it didn't reach his eyes. Underneath her fingertips Hayley felt roughness on Loki's usually flawless skin. She squinted her eyes and found small scars on his throat and as she looked more closely on his hands as well. Carefully, she touched him, "What happened?"

Loki averted her gaze. "Let's just say I did everything I could to rescue you. And Karnilla got what she deserved." Hayley observed as his jaw muscles flexed. His state worried her but she didn't want to press the matter any further. She was still too weak to do so.

"Thank you for saving me," Hayley muttered before she closed her eyes again. She fell asleep with the feeling of Loki's tender lips against her knuckles.

During the next few days, Hayley's health slowly but gradually improved. Most of the time Loki or the healer were with her, but sometimes Frigga or even Sif joined her. Every day, the bandage on her hip, where the dragon had bit her, had to be replaced. When Loki had volunteered for the task, Hayley was equally nervous and glad. Whereas the healer wasn't very demure about the procedure, Loki's touch on her skin was very intimate but at the same time gentle and caring.

It was their aim to get Hayley back on her feet until the great banquet when Odin was to officially announce Thor his successor. Hayley was absolutely forbidden to take part in any form of training or battle itself until her full recovery. She would take long walks in the halls of the castle or in the gardens, instead; often with Loki at her side.

Nevertheless, she hadn't failed to notice the gossip about her and the prince of Asgard. It was the same chatter she had overheard when she had been younger. Though worried, her health was her first priority and she genuinely enjoyed the newly found trust between herself and Loki.

The banquet was to be held for about 50 of the highest ranking officials in the realm; and Hayley was invited, too. She had never been to anything as formal as this. On the day before the event she meekly admitted to Loki "I don't think that I should go, really." He looked up from his book. They were sitting in the training room where Hayley had been practicing light magic spells for the last hour.

"What, to the banquet?" Loki asked and frowned. Hayley got up from her chair. "Well, yes. I don't think I'm ready. And there will be so many people. And I really have no place there, do I?" She looked at Loki skeptically.

He put his book on a table. "Of course, you have a place there. You're part of the family. If anything, I need you there to not get annoyed out of my mind. My brother – the King of Asgard. It's unfathomable as it is. But without you it'll be like hell."

Hayley smiled wearily. "I don't even have anything to wear." Deliberately, she kept quiet about her worries in terms of the rumors about her and Loki.

"Oh, that should be the least of your problems. Mother has taken care of that." Hesitantly, Hayley had to accept that there would be no way around it.

The next morning, Hayley didn't see Loki all day long; no one to give her reassuring words or a smile. In the afternoon, she had become so nervous she started biting her nails. Luckily, she knew a spell to remove the effects. Hayley was staring at the big package a young boy had just brought to her chambers that was sitting on her bed. It must be the dress, she thought. Sighing, she removed the lid and was immediately moved by the beauty of the design.

The dress was made of pure silk but embroidered with thousands of small sparkling beads forming an intricate tangled design. As she put it on, Hayley realized that it fit perfectly and showed quite a lot of her cleavage and underlined her curves rather nicely.

But what struck her the most was the fact that emerald green really looked good on her. Did Frigga really take care of her wardrobe or had the god of mischief had a hand in it? Nevertheless, Hayley felt pretty self-confident in her new outfit and that alone was a rare feeling. With a quick spell she pinned her hair up on top of her head in an elaborate style and smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

Bracing herself she walked through the halls to the wing of the castle where the banquet was to be held. On her way, she could feel the looks of passersby or guards on her and her self-consciousness returned. Why had she even considered going to that banquet? The only thought that kept her going was that she had to be there for Loki. She would endure the strange looks and unsettling gossip just for him.

When she reached the doors that would first lead her to a winding staircase that would then bring her to the banquet room Hayley was greeted by two big and bulky guards. Noiselessly they opened the double winged doors for her and she entered. On top of the stairs, Hayley looked down and saw that most of the guests had already arrived. Loki was nowhere to be seen. So, she gripped the handrail, held her chin up high and slowly descended the stairs.

Her skirts flowing behind her like cascades over the steps, Hayley gulped as more and more heads turned to follow her paces. When she finally reached the end of the staircase she looked shyly around the room. Thankfully, Frigga appeared at her side and smiled widely. "You look stunning, Hayley." "Thank you," Hayley mumbled, smoothed nonexistent wrinkles out of her dress and quickly grabbed the first glass of sparkling wine that was offered to her.

Frigga had to welcome other freshly arriving guests and Hayley thought she might have glimpsed Loki's cape behind a pillar; other than that there was still no sign of him. Why had she even come here when the one she was supposed to support was a no show? And why didn't those people stop looking at her?

_(Like a moth into a flame,_

_I'm hypnotized,_

_And like a stone,_

_I'm paralyzed cause I can't look away,_

_You found your way under my skin,_

_And I'm tryin' not to love you,_

_But I hate the way I keep on givin'_

_Into you, like I always do,_

_No matter how I try,_

_Or maybe could it be,_

_That you're the part of me,_

_That's keeping me alive?)_

"Because you look beautiful, my dear," was Loki's voice in her head. Hayley spun around just to find Loki casually leaning against a column across the room and staring at her intently. He was wearing his usual attire except for his helmet. It had been placed next to Thor's on a small sideboard against a wall. "Thanks. You look perfectly royal, as always." Hayley smiled and took a sip from her glass. "And now, would you be so kind as to stay out of my head, your highness prince of invading my privacy?" "Of course, milady," was Loki's deliberately telepathic reply.

_(How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under,_

_I'm so addicted to the pain,_

_Got your poison running through my veins,_

_The way you pull me in,_

_The way you chew me up,_

_The way you spit me out,_

_I keep coming back, I can't get enough,_

_I can't go without you.)_

He was approaching her with slow strides. If Hayley hadn't known better, she would have thought he was prowling. She took another large sip from her beverage while Loki's gaze was still fixed on her. Seemingly absentminded he brushed the palm of his right hand over the smooth surface of the column he was walking by. At the very same time, Hayley felt someone slide their hand over her left hip onto her buttocks. She turned around but none of the guests were close enough to have done it.

When she faced Loki again and found the broad grin on his face as well as his fingertip still on marble she knew what was going on. "What are you doing?" Hayley mouthed the words but transmitted them to him telepathically as well. "Oh, just a bit of fun, really," he replied smugly. "I told you I'd get bored here."

_(I could fight you 'til the end,_

_But I will lose you if I win,_

_So I guess I'll just keep on givin'_

_Into you, like I always do,_

_No matter how I try,_

_Or maybe could it be,_

_That you're the part of me,_

_That's keeping me alive?)_

Hayley downed the last bit of her drink in one big gulp. So he wanted a game. Well, two could play at that and Hayley knew exactly what spell Loki was using. When he eventually detached himself from the pillar and was about to cross the last space between them with long strides, Hayley turned her back to him and vanished into the crowd.

Now, he had to follow her dark green robe through the room. A spell to summon her would have been too easy. Loki enjoyed the hunt. First, he saw her close to Fandral and then disappearing behind a row of golden pillars. The next time he saw her was when she was strolling over to where his and his brother's helmets were displayed.

Hayley felt as if all the other people in the room didn't even exist. She liked this game she was playing with the god of mischief even though she didn't quite know where it would lead. The alcohol was probably toying with her mind, too. But after all this time of painstakingly slow recovery a distraction would be welcome for both her and Loki.

_(This feeling is far from sober,_

_Its beauty buried deep inside,_

_You're the only one who gets me high,_

_And I know it's far from over,_

_As you can see you're the part of me,_

_That's keeping me alive.)_

Hayley looked over her shoulder to find him only a few paces away amongst the crowd of people. His eyes never left hers as Hayley licked the tip of her right index finger and arrived at his golden helmet. Ever so slowly she ran her finger along one of the massive horns that adorned it. Haley heard Loki's gasp right behind her. When she arrived at the tip of the horn she turned to face him only to find him leaning on the edge of the banquet table for support. Hayley had a smirk on her face. It wasn't easy to throw the god of mischief off balance.

What she didn't expect was his next move. Short of pouncing on her, he grabbed her arm and the next moment Hayley found herself in one of the secret tunnels underneath the castle. It was merely lit by a small torch in a far corner. "How did you…" Hayley started to ask Loki a little out of breath. But in the next instant he pressed her against the wall. Hayley was torn between the damp cold on her back and the hot man in front of her. Loki held her arms tightly against her sides and whispered into her ear. "You are playing with fire, little Hayley."

"Don't call me little," Hayley breathed as she became aware of something hard pressing against her thigh.

"Do you think you can handle it?" Loki asked and his lips caressed her ear. Was he talking about the "fire" or something else? "You started it," Hayley teased.

Loki shifted his position until his forehead rested against Hayley's. "Then I shall be the one to end it." He detached himself from her and looked straight into her eyes; but he didn't let go of her.

Hayley's breathing became shallow and she was unsure if the disappointment his last words had caused was written all over her face. Loki's gaze wandered from her eyes, to her lips and then to her heaving breasts. When he finally looked back at her face his features softened. But then he crushed his lips onto hers and wrapped his arms tightly around her shivering body.

_**Flash forward:**_

_(How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under,_

_I'm so addicted to the pain,_

_Got your poison running through my veins,_

_The way you pull me in,_

_The way you chew me up,_

_The way you spit me out,_

_I keep coming back, I can't get enough,_

_I can't go without,_

_The way you pull me in,_

_The way you chew me up,_

_The way you spit me out,_

_I keep coming back, I can't get enough,_

_I can't go without,_

_I keep coming back, I can't get enough,_

_I can't go without, you.)_

_**Flash back.**_

_**A/N:**__ No real flash forward today since this is already the longest of the chapters I've written so far. :) So, what do you think?_


	11. Chapter 11 Out of breath

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everybody! To quote Shakespeare: we few, we happy few, we band of brothers, assembled here for the love of Loki :-)._

_I sincerely apologize that it has taken me so long to update. But be assured that I thought about you and this story every day since the last chapter. Special thanks this time not only to my loyal readers and reviewers but also to "Rose Prince 17" for her inspiring impatience. :-)_

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care and review please :-)!_

**Chapter 11: Out of breath**

Hayley desperately needed some air. She was beginning to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Her knees became weak. Only, none of that really mattered. All that did matter was his touch; his fingertips on her bare skin, his lips on hers; his body locked with hers.

Instinctively, she gasped for breath when his lips wandered to her throat. Loki held her in a tight embrace and was placing butterfly kisses on her collar bone. Where he had ample access to her skin because of her low-cut dress, Hayley could only bury her hands in his hair and clutch his back. The young woman had never experienced such sensation. "Loki", she moaned breathlessly. "Yes?" he whispered against her earlobe.

Hayley gulped, "We need to…". Loki's hand had reached Hayley's breast and was teasing her nipple through the thin fabric of her dress. "What do we need to, my love?" By Odin, had he really just said that? She swallowed hard one more time but still couldn't quite believe what she was about to say next, "Loki, wait, please." He froze in his motions and she sighed because of the loss of contact.

Slowly, Loki moved his head and locked eyes with her. Annoyance of having to stop what he had been doing was written all over his face. But the concern he saw in Hayley's eyes quickly softened his expressions. "What is it?" he whispered worriedly.

"It's just…" she hesitated. "What are we doing, Loki?" He couldn't help but smirk "Well…" But Hayley cut him off. "You know what I mean. Is this real? Are you just playing with me, Loki? Because I couldn't stand losing you one more time. You know, it still hurts." She uttered her last words almost inaudibly. Her glance was fixated somewhere over Loki's left shoulder. She just couldn't bear looking into his eyes. If she had, she would have seen the hurt and desperation in those deep green pools of his.

Loki propped himself up at the wall behind her, his arms now framing her body. He let out a small sigh and then said, "Look at me." Hesitantly, Hayley blinked and then turned her gaze towards him. A small smile played on his lips. "I have too much invested in you to just abandon you again." Hayley furrowed her brow. "What's that supposed to mean? "Too much invested in me"? Am I just one of your pet projects?" She brushed his arm aside and marched off towards the torch in the corner, her arms crossed against the sudden cold that rushed over her.

Hayley contemplated the flame of the small fire, longing for its warmth. When Loki had reached her and turned her body towards his, he could see the light flickering in her eyes. More than that, he saw unshed tears, anger and fear. Fear of losing him one more time.

"We already talked about this, Hayley. I'm sorry for what happened in the past, but that shouldn't taint the future." Loki said softly.

"But how will I know if I won't do anything that will put you off again and then you'll realize your mistake?" Tears had started spilling down her cheeks. Ashamed, Hayley turned to face the wall and buried her face in her hands.

Staggered, Loki stared at her. "You… you think that _you_ did something when we were young?" He couldn't help but snort. "Great, and now you're making fun of me", Hayley send Loki telepathically since her sobbing wouldn't allow for any other form of communication.

In one swift motion, Hayley found herself in his arms. He held her tightly to his armored chest, very much wishing for closer intimacy. The girl in his grip struggled weekly but they both knew that he was the stronger one. "Let me go!" Hayley said lamely.

"Not before I tell you what really happened that day." "That day" was branded into Hayley's memory as if someone had used searing hot iron. Thanks to blissful oblivion, she couldn't remember every single word he had shouted at her back then. But more than one insult had been expressed by the one person she trusted the most.

Hayley braced herself for a repetition of these offenses when Loki simply admitted, "I didn't want to hurt you. All I did was listen to gossip and the wrong people. They were already talking about us back then and I didn't like it. I mean, we were only friends but I didn't want them to think anything. I wanted to decide for myself. I didn't realize that these rumors must have had an effect on you, too. I knew no other way but to cut all ties with you. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Mmh…" Hayley sniveled. "But there are already new rumors about the two of us. What about that?" Hayley was still pressed against Loki's chest and started to calm down a little. Still, worry was written all over her face and almost palpable in her wavering voice.

Loki tucked his hand under her chin and gently moved her gaze up to his. "I've grown since then. Do you really think the god of mischief cares about what these gossips think? And even if I did, I couldn't think of anyone else that I would like to be gossiped about." He smiled his very warm smile down on her and Hayley couldn't help but respond with a small chuckle herself.

Her only other answer to his declaration was a shift in her body. She moved to hug him back more firmly and sincerely. His cheek rested upon her head and she waited for the tears to stop flowing. Loki was stroking Hayley's back and for the moment they were happy in each other's presence. Time was standing still until they heard a faint cheer and applause from an audience in a distance.

Hayley turned her head to look up at Loki. "I think we missed your brother's big moment."

"What a pity. I almost feel sorry." Loki replied sarcastically. Hayley smirked while Loki was wiping away dried tears on her cheeks. Then, he placed a light kiss on her lips before tugging her back into his embrace.

"We should get back." Hayley murmured against his chest, eyes closed, all the time not wanting to go back herself. Loki just growled. "You could teach me how to transport. I still don't totally understand how you did this earlier and when you brought me back here from Nornheim."

"That shall remain my secret." Loki whispered against her hair. But in the next instant, Hayley found herself back on top of the stairs that led into the banquet hall. Miraculously, her hair and dress seemed to have returned to their former state, before Loki's hands had had their way with them. She glanced at him and he offered her his arm. "Ready?" he asked. Hayley nodded confidently, straightening her back. How could a girl not feel confident with the prince of Asgard at her side guiding her down a winding staircase?

This time, her descent felt much better than when she first entered here; the staring stayed the same, though. Heads turned their focus from Odin and Thor towards Hayley and Loki. The Allfather had to have just announced his successor. And still, Loki got all the attention. He was smiling, quite content with the situation. When they reached the current and future King, Loki and Hayley both bowed to them according to courtly manners. Then, Loki offered his congratulations to his brother. Hayley wasn't quite sure if she remained the only one to detect the subtle hint of irony in his short speech.

Nevertheless, the evening proceeded as planned without further ado. Loki stayed at Hayley's side the whole time, enduring the looks and hushed voices together with her. He made no bones about his affections for the young woman next to him, playing with a loose strand of her hair, kissing her palm or protectively sliding his arm around her.

The couple had sought out a quiet spot on the balcony adjacent to the banquet room where everyone was enjoying the feast. Food, however, was about the last thing on Hayley's mind right now. Her head was resting on Loki's shoulder and they were gazing at the full moon when they heard snickering behind them. They didn't need to turn around to guess what the women were fussing about. Loki lifted one eyebrow and smirked down on Hayley. "Let's give them a show." Without further ado and without time for Hayley to protest, Loki bent her back over and kissed her openly on the mouth.

Loki was about to finish with a hearty laugh towards the flabbergasted gossiping ladies when the side entrance door flew open. Two bulky and heavily armed guards brought in Karnilla, bound in chains. Loki helped a rather breathless Hayley back to her feet; the ladies were completely forgotten. They went back into the room together where Thor had erected himself in front of the kneeling Karnilla. She looked small and beaten but her look was as ferocious as ever. She turned her head and glared at Hayley. She took a step back and clutched Loki's arm. He clenched his fists and then rubbed Hayley's shivering form.

Thor proclaimed, "Father, I bring before you the most villainous Karnilla. Not only has she threatened the city of Asgard with war, she has taken my brother and his fellow sorceress prisoner without any cause. If it hadn't been for me, they would have stayed there and suffered in her torturous dungeon. I say, let's punish her for her abhorrence in the most severe way!"

Loki grimaced and Hayley could feel his muscles flex. "'If it hadn't been for him?' You've got to be kidding me," he growled. "_You_ got us out of that cell and _I_ finished that b…" "I know," Hayley interrupted him. "That is all that matters. Let your brother have this moment. All I care about is that she cannot hurt anyone anymore." Loki sighed but complied. He glared at Karnilla and put his arm back around Hayley.

In the meantime, Odin and Thor had been arguing about Karnilla's punishment. Overzealous Thor had wanted her banished from this realm but Odin finally decided that she was to be held under lock and key in her own personal dungeon. She would be wearing the same magical shackles and muzzle she had Hayley and Loki wear when they had been her prisoners. Whereas Hayley could live with that sentence and wanted to quickly forget about the incident, she could sense that Loki had favored his brother's suggestion or worse.

"Tomorrow, Odin will summon the whole city to announce Thor as the new king. How do you feel about that?" Hayley knew that those words would unsettle Loki's feelings but they would also distract him from Karnilla, who was being dragged back out again by the two guards. Loki gulped and focused his attention back on the young woman in front of him.

Softly, he caressed her cheek and looked at her with those big, round eyes of his. If Hayley hadn't fallen for him already, she would have right there and then. "Right now," he said, "I only care about us. Let's get out of here." Hayley smiled, but when they turned to leave, they were blocked by Frigga's presence.

Slightly nervous, Hayley realized that the Queen couldn't have missed the attention her son had given her this evening. "Hayley, my dear," she grabbed her by the shoulders, "will you join the family ranks for tomorrow's coronation celebration? I hope you know that we have always regarded you as a member of the family. What do you think about that, Loki?"

Her son just gave her a toothy smile and entwined his fingers with Hayley's. "Well, I'd be happy to," Hayley answered shyly, still unsure if Frigga was implicating something about Loki and herself or if she had had invited her nevertheless. With his free hand, Loki took his mother's and gave it a kiss. "If you'd excuse us now, mother, I have had enough of chorus of praise for Thor for one evening." Frigga chuckled and let them pass, but not without a reassuring grip on Loki's shoulder before he left.

A few minutes later, they were standing sheepishly in front of Hayley's door. Not knowing how to proceed, Hayley blushed and cast her glance downward. "Well, milady, I bid you farewell and wish you a pleasant night." Equally relieved and disappointed she looked up to him and smiled slightly. "Hm, yes, good night." Loki kissed her on the cheek but then lingered on and pulled her into a tight embrace. His lips brushed against her ear when he whispered, "I could have your dress on this floor and you on your bed underneath me with a short flip of my finger." Hayley could feel him smile against the side of her face and her breathing quickened. Her heart almost skipped a beat when he continued, "I long to touch and pleasure you; but all in its time. Good night, my love."

And with those last words he was gone and left Hayley gasping for air.

_**Flash forward:**_

"_When I went back to Laufey and found out about my heritage, I immediately thought of you. I know, I wasn't quite myself back then, but still I worried about you. My mother was human, too, you know. Laufey took her as prize after one of his battles. Only, they fell in love. Unfortunately, her human form couldn't withstand carrying a frost giant's offspring. She died at my birth. I will never let that happen to you."_

_**Flash back.**_

_**A/N:**__ The next chapter will take place during the original timeline of the movie "Thor". So keep reviewing and thus keeping me inspired about what is to come next for Hayley and Loki :-)._


	12. Chapter 12 Blue Beckoning

_**Author's note:**__ Hello everybody! Shame on me for abandoning you my readers, who I worship so much. I am nothing without you. And I am nothing if not grateful for your reviews and support! Since "Thor: The Dark World" is being shot in London right now, I felt obliged to break radio silence and continue my little Loki story. _

_The timeline now follows the movie "Thor" but will also include deleted scenes from the DVD. So go and watch it again. One can never watch a good movie too many times :)!_

_So long, have fun with Hayley and Loki and take care and review please :-)!_

**Chapter 12: Blue Beckoning**

On this beautiful morning, the palace was bustling with people, who were either invited to the big celebration or hectically arranging the last details for the ceremony and festivities. All Hayley had to do was getting dressed and worrying about her new relationship with one of the princes of Asgard. She didn't care the least about him not being the rightful heir to the throne. She cared about her shoes being too tacky for the day or her presence amongst the royal family being too preposterous. All in all, she was equally excited and nervous. It meant a big step for her being admitted into the inner circle. But a small voice in her head whispered, "At what price?"

And that inner voice was right. Thor wasn't ready to be king, yet. He was arrogant and selfish, and quite frankly, he was a child. A big boy with a toy. Of course, he was a master at yielding the hammer like no one ever could. But a king – no. Loki, on the other hand, was different. All her feelings aside of never ever wanting to become Queen, Hayley felt Loki was a better fit for the position. He was contemplative and eloquent, thoughtful and reasonable. But he had a dark and mischievous temper, too. He tried to hide his jealousy and seemed to relish his status as an outsider. But deep down, Hayley knew the truth. Even before they had shared the same consciousness in practice and in battle, she had known.

If they could just make it through today, maybe things would change. Maybe he'd accept his role in court and see the positive side of things. They could be together without the burden of the throne. Deeply in thought, Hayley heard a knock at her door.

When she opened it, she was astounded to find Queen Frigga. She smiled and asked "Can I come in? I hope I am not interrupting anything?" Hayley shook her head and stepped away from the doorframe to let the Queen in. "What can I do for you, your majesty?" "Oh, don't be so formal with me, Hayley. We've known each other for years and today everyone will witness you taking your rightful place amongst the Royal family and warriors." "Well, thank you. But I think they'd rather witness Thor's big celebration." "Mmh, yes, of course. But every detail of the royal protocol has been taken care of. And people will talk about every little detail. So, I thought, I'd present you with these to give them more things to talk about."

Frigga flashed a big smile at Hayley and handed her a small box that Hayley hadn't noticed earlier. 'Something that others could talk about.' - Normally, Hayley would have avoided anything that would make her the possible center of gossip; but since the Queen herself was standing in her room, she took the velvety box and studied it curiously. "What are you waiting for? Open it," Frigga encouraged her. Hesitantly, Hayley swung the lid open and was startled at the beauty that sparkled inside. "These were my mother's earrings. She wore them at her coronation. Maybe the occasion doesn't fit but I thought the color would." Hayley was staring open-mouthed at a pair of breathtaking green earrings. They were teardrop-shaped and clasped in gold. "I…, I can't take these, Frigga. This is too much." Hayley closed the lid and gave the Queen a troubled look. But Frigga simply folded Hayley's hand around the box and stated, "Don't worry. I want you to have them. Loki will be pleased to see them on you. I am so glad that the two of you have found each other."

Hayley blushed and didn't quite know what to say. After all, they hadn't made anything official, yet. "I know you'll be wearing your armor during the ceremony since you are part of our proud warriors but I thought the earrings might still be a nice addition." Frigga hugged Hayley tightly. Overwhelmed by the situation, Hayley muttered "Thank you," into the Queen's shoulder. "Now, I'll leave you to it. The celebrations start in about an hour. See you then." And with one last, quick hug the Queen floated out of Hayley's chambers. Gaping, Hayley was staring at the box in her hands and contemplated the meaning behind the words of the Queen.

Shortly before the start of the ceremony, Hayley crossed an antechamber to the Great Hall to get to her place next to Loki. He would be on her left side and Sif would be on her right. Hayley glanced around a corner only to find that Loki hadn't taken his place on the majestic stairs, yet. She observed the antechamber more closely and marveled at the decorations that artfully adorned most parts of the castle. Gently she stroked the silken surface of a golden drape that was hanging from the ceiling when suddenly she heard glass smashing not far behind her. Quickly she hid behind one of the massive pillars and pressed her back against it.

Only seconds later Hayley's anxiety was replaced by relief as much as discomfort; she heard Thor talking to his brother. He must have smashed one of his goblets. He liked doing that too often, in her opinion. Still, she didn't want to be listening to their conversation. Their tone sounded playful but also sincere. Only if she escaped now, they would surely notice her.

Right now, Thor was claiming that he had fought his way through 100 warriors in Nornheim. But Loki corrected him that it certainly must have been him who veiled the warriors in smoke to ease the escape. So that is what must have happened after Hayley had blacked out. She felt a tell-tale jab at her hip, where the small poisonous dragon had bit her. Her health was almost back to normal, though. She would be able to proceed with her usual training probably in a few days.

Thor bantered on, "Yes! Some do battles, others just do tricks!" Hayley furrowed her brow at that comment and when she heard a loud clang she peeked around the pillar to have a look at what was happening. Apparently, a servant had offered the two brothers some wine but Loki had turned the contents of the goblet into snakes. The servant looked terrified and finally Loki made the writhing snakes disappear again.

"Loki! Now that was just a waste of good wine", Thor said teasingly.

"Oh, it was just a bit of fun! Right, my friend?" Hayley didn't like it very much when Loki frightened others with his magic on purpose. But right at that moment he got a glance of her hiding behind the drapes and she got a glance of the mischief in his eyes. Quickly, Hayley retreated a little further behind the pillar and couldn't hide a smile. In his glinting eyes she had also been able to read that Loki was in a good mood, which didn't go without saying.

Hayley took a deep breath and listened to the ongoing banter. She heard the brothers teasing each other about their helmets but also kind and sincere words from Loki. "I've looked forward to this day as long as you have; you're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you."

Those words from the god of mischief warmed her heart and Hayley was grinning from ear to ear. Hence, she was even more surprised to find him suddenly standing in front of her. Loki's close proximity flushed her and with him wearing his helmet he was quite an impressive character. He smirked and whispered, "It is not very ladylike to eavesdrop, especially on the future King of Asgard."

Blushing more deeply, Hayley cast her eyes down and bit her lower lip. Loki placed his right index finger under her chin and gently lifted it up so she would meet his gaze. Shyly she looked at him when he murmured, "But I am glad that you are here." Softly he brushed his lips against hers. Hayley had to be careful not to cut herself on the sharp edges of Loki's helmet. Hesitantly, she grabbed it at its sides and deepened their kiss. She was overcome by a mixture of sensations; her hands were holding on to the smooth and cool metal that Loki's helmet was made of, her lips were ravished by the god of mischief himself and his body pressed her against the hard pillar at her back.

Reluctantly both parted, breathless. Panting, Loki took Hayley's hand, "Come. We need to join the ceremony. Incidentally, I really like your earrings." With his free hand he caressed her cheek one last time and then led her into the Great Hall.

The first part of the ceremony went by like a flash. Thor visibly enjoyed the attention and everybody was mesmerized by the words the All-father found for his eldest son. The room and the attending people were all arranged in perfect and shiningly golden symmetry. But this geometric harmony was harshly interrupted by Odin's silence in midsentence. Thor's face fell and at the same time Hayley felt a chill creeping down her spine. Before she could place the unfamiliar und unwelcome feeling, Odin whispered "frost giants". And with that the ceremony was over before having even started properly.

Worried and frightened the audience scattered and the guards formed a battle position around the royal family. Loki quickly squeezed Hayley's forearm before swiftly following his brother and father into the underground vaults of the palace. Later he would tell her about the slain intruders and what had transpired down there; but now Hayley was hopelessly helpless. However, she had the unmistakable feeling that something was wrong and wasn't about to become better any time soon. Seldom had she seen the All-father this concerned.

After that, Hayley tried to help minimize the impending panic. She calmed people down or simply showed others the exit ways. She even tried a mood altering spell, but trying to affect an entire crowd on her own would have been an impossible feat even in good health. Exhausted, she looked for Sif and the warriors three. They had just wandered off into one of the adjacent chambers where the feast was to be held.

The first words she heard, when she entered the room, were the last Thor spoke before storming off, "My friends, we're going to Jotunheim!" Appalled, her eyes followed him and then observed the scene in front of her. As far as she could see, the table had been overturned and the spilled food was making a mess on the floor. Sif and the warriors three pushed past her when she got a glimpse of Loki sitting on the stairs. His head was resting in his hand but when Hayley slowly approached him, he looked up. A half-smile was playing on his lips when he recognized her. He gestured her to sit down next to him. Hayley put her head on his shoulder and they stayed in silence like this for a short while.

Afterwards, Loki briefly explained the situation and then took both of Hayley's hands in his. "Listen, I have to get Thor out of this madness and make him see his erroneous believes. But I also have to find out why the frost giants broke into the weapon's vault, without risking war. Hayley, you need to stay here, please," Loki felt her resistance but continued, "Your health isn't back to what it used to be and I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you!"

"But what if something happened to you?" Hayley exclaimed. "Nothing will happen to me, my love. I just have to make sure that nothing happens to that stupid big brother of mine." A smile played around Loki's lips and he swiftly kissed Hayley on hers. "Don't worry! We'll be back shortly!"

Feeling her struggle crumble, Hayley squeezed his hands, "Please be careful!" "I will," was Loki's sincere answer. Hayley accompanied him outside and to his horse. She stayed silent after their small talk, however. Hayley was very unsure of how to interpret the situation. The frost giants had broken the truce, but surely Thor's hotheaded decision couldn't be the answer either.

Restlessly she watched the warriors leave the courtyard and cross the rainbow bridge. After that, she went to her rooms and edgily paced back and forth. She had absolutely no idea what to do with herself, until some time later she heard an urgent knock on her door. A servant girl entered and hurried her to come along with the following words, "Lady Hayley, they are back! You need to come quickly! One of them is hurt!" Hayley felt dizzy and rushed after the girl, secretly praying that Loki was alright.

As Hayley went into the room, she assessed the situation quickly. Fandral had a rather nasty stab wound and Volstagg's arm seemed to have been burned in some kind of way. Loki was nowhere to be seen. "What happened?" cried Hayley as she rushed to Fandral to apply a healing spell to his marred chest. Neither of them answered. At this instant, Loki marched into the room and grumbled, "Father has banished Thor!"

Everyone gasped at the news but Hayley only had eyes for Loki. It seemed as if all her insides contracted at once because something had changed. Maybe the others weren't able to perceive it but Hayley could see and feel it in her bones. Loki was changed.

_**Flash forward:**_

"_Loki, you can't do this! He is your brother!" Loki rushed at her and grabbed her by the throat. He squeezed hard and Hayley clasped his wrist with both hands as he short of lifted her from the floor. She felt as if her windpipe was being crushed to pieces and she couldn't breathe. But what hurt the most was the look in Loki's eyes. "I can do whatever I want. I am King of Asgard now!"_

_**Flash back.**_

_**A/N:**__ So, what do you think? Should I still continue our Hayley and Loki story, although it is now interfering with the original movie? I'd like to read your reviews on the matter. Thanks so much for reading, again!_


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